Code Club with Martin Lynch
What is Code Club?
Code Club is a global network of free coding clubs for school children. It is part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK-based charity which engages millions of young people in learning computing and digital skills through a network of schools, clubs and events.
Why did you get involved in Code Club?
I was introduced to Code Club after a STEM ambassador came into our office to chat about the different tech outreach opportunities available. After chatting to other colleagues involved in tech outreach and hearing their positive stories, I knew I wanted to get involved and make an impact – so I decided to register as a STEM ambassador. I reached out to a local primary school to explain the initiative and see if they would be interested in Code Club – and five years later, I’m still here!
Summarise your Code Club experience
I’ve been delivering weekly Code Club classes to P6 and P7 students in St Colmcille’s Primary School for over five years now. During these classes, the pupils work through Scratch projects weekly from January until early May. Scratch is a fun, interactive software tool that introduces young people to the concept of coding, and each project can vary in complexity - with different modules suited for certain ages. In the final three weeks of term, the class is split up into groups to work on building their own innovative, creative games – varying from platform games, quizzes and racing games.
During the game development stages, the kids apply everything they’ve learned from the booklet driven projects and put it into practice by coming up with their own game or app. What they don’t realise, is that in a way, they are mirroring the actual software development lifecycle; starting from planning and requirement gathering, then onto prototyping and development , right through to testing and project completion which involves them demoing their app/game to their classmates, teacher, ITC co-ordinator and school principal. I encourage the children to push the boundaries of their thinking by plotting out their thought-process, solving problems and making impactful decisions. Not only do these activities help educate and accelerate their coding capabilities, but it enhances the children’s overall personal development and understanding which they can take forward to secondary school.
The impact
Over the last five years, the impact Code Club has had on the children I’ve worked with has just been incredible. The Scratch modules have provided the kids with a technical, digital understanding of how to code - creating a pivotal stepping stone in their next steps towards secondary school. Code Club has helped with maths, decision making and logical problem solving, helping kids visualise more abstract concepts in a fun format that allows them to engage in real-life problem solving.
During the game development stages, the children can improve their written skills and creativity by developing a concise and structured approach to storytelling – learning to take different methods to solving tasks in creative, innovative ways they might not have previously considered. Almost every device we interact with on a daily basis is powered by a computer, therefore it’s so important that we help kids visualise the possibilities of how coding and technology can solve problems of the future by nurturing this creativity and innovation.
Code club has also enhanced the personal development and skills of the children too. For example, it has improved their focus, organisational skills and collaboration, and has increased their confidence both at school and in other social situations.
Finally, coding is fun! The children LOVE our classes (and so do I!). The teachers have told me the kids talk about code club before the lesson happens, and again when the classes are over. During the class, they are eager to learn more, engage, ask questions and advance their thinking. It’s just amazing to see their genuine excitement and interest, especially because I enjoy it equally as much as they do. It’s the best part of my week – for sure!
What does Code Club mean to you?
I absolutely love delivering Code Club. It’s genuinely the best part of my week and is an incredible opportunity to give back and educate children in my local village. It’s a rewarding experience to see the direct impact we’re having on children and their learning – and it’s one I also learn a lot from. What we’re doing at Code Club is being taught formally in secondary school, so it means a lot to be able to help young people grow their digital skills and prepare them for technology jobs of the future.
Recently, we also gifted 100 trees to St Colmcille’s Primary School as part of our climate action pledge with Carbon Footprint to plant 3,000 trees across the UK. Now, the teachers and pupils will combat climate change by planting the trees in the school grounds - and I'm super proud to play a key role in this sort of activity!
Martin is passionate about accelerating the digital skills of the next generation, and has inspired over 150 young people during his time as a Code Club volunteer.