CoderDojo KU guiding principles

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• Hold 8-10 sessions on Saturday afternoons in each academic year during term time, with a minimum of four weeks between sessions and avoiding long weekends with Monday public holidays.

• Make all children and young people warmly welcome, regardless of their background, prior experience, and any disabilities or neurodiversity.

• Comply with Raspberry Pi standards of safeguarding, ethics, values and best practices in the operation of our Dojo.

• Participate in and support Raspberry Pi and CoderDojo community events such as Coolest Projects and Club Conferences; as well as Raspberry Pi programmes such as Astro Pi.

• Take active steps to help address the gender gap so that more girls are attracted into STEM studies and careers, such as by inviting female speakers to share their success stories.

• Actively recruit KU computer science, engineering and digital media students to volunteer as mentors.

• Encourage and support youth mentors in leading activities, and promote volunteering to local young people

• Maintain active communications and excellent relationships with the KU School of Computer Science and Mathematics, KU STEM Outreach Team, KU IT Services, Richmond and Kingston childrens’ services agency Achieving for Children, the CoderDojo/R Pi community support team  and the London STEM Ambassador team. 

• Take opportunities to promote our Dojo to local communities, schools and KU staff families. Obtain feedback from parents and the young people participating in our sessions though periodic surveys and the organisation of a parent representative panel.

• Maintain an adequate stock of donated and recycled laptops so that our sessions are accessible to larger or disadvantaged families who may not have their own laptops for each child to bring.

• Seek a corporate sponsor or other sources of funding to provide for the purchase of additional equipment such for robotics, digital electronics kits, VR headsets and tablets which will expand the range and depth of opportunities for the participants to experience.

Our governance

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The objects clause of the Kingston Coding for Kids CIO constitution states our aims as “to advance in life and help children and young people aged 7-17 through:
 

1. providing a volunteer-led computer coding club or clubs that provide informal opportunities for engagement and interest in exploring coding, digital making and STEM topics and projects designed to improve their conditions of life;

2. providing opportunities to develop key skills in communication, collaboration and problem solving to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.”

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The CoderDojo mission

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At CoderDojo, we want to help kids and teens realise that they can build a positive future through coding. We believe that:

An understanding of programming languages is important in today's world
Everyone should have the opportunity to learn to code

The CoderDojo movement is formed of a global network of Dojos and the community of volunteers and children that make them happen. A Dojo is a free, volunteer-led, community-based computer club for young people. Anyone aged 7 to 17 can visit a Dojo and learn to code, build a website, or create an app or game. Dojos are a space for kids and teens to explore technology in an informal, creative, safe and social environment. We promote a focus on youth mentoring, and on peer and self-led learning.