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Join EU Code Week and organise #codeEU events

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Download the complete #codeEU Toolkit in PDF

#codeEU toolkit

What is EU Code Week?

EU Code Week is a grass-root movement run by volunteers who promote coding in their countries as Code Week Ambassadors. Anyone – schools, teachers, libraries, code clubs, businesses, public authorities – can organise a #CodeEU event and add it to the codeweek.eu map.

Who can organise a Code Week event?

Anyone can organise a Code Week event.

  • Kids/teenagers/adults can organise coding events to show others how you create with code.
  • Schools / after school clubs / adult evening classes can organise events for their students. Coding online or unplugged is fun and teaches computational thinking!
  • Teachers and librarians who code can hold coding classes, share their lessons plans, organise workshops for colleagues.
  • Teachers and librarians who don’t code can invite parents or students to teach participants coding.
  • Coders can organise workshops in local schools, hack spaces or community centres and invite people to create with code.
  • Code clubs can organise workshops for new participants and show then how to make a game or an app with code.
  • Businesses and non-profit organisations can host coding workshops, lend their staff to coach at different events, organise fun coding challenges, offer sponsorship for coding events.

What do you need?

  • A group of people willing to learn. For example, your friends, kids, teenagers, adults colleagues, friends, parents or grandparents. Remember, two is a group already!
  • Coaches or trainers who know coding, how to teach and inspire others. The number depends on the type and size of the event. For hands-on workshops, you may need one coach per 5-8 participants, but it all depends. Participants can also help each other! For larger events, it might be a good idea to have a host that makes sure everyone has what they need and keep things running smoothly.
  • A place to be. Classrooms, libraries, conference rooms and various public spaces all make a great event venue.
  • Computers. Depending on your target group, you might ask participants to bring their own laptops, in which case don’t forget to provide enough power outlets.
  • Internet connection – WiFi or fixed connections. Make sure your connections will be able to handle the traffic coming from your group
  • Coding unplugged. You actually don’t need computers and internet connection to learn computational thinking. Try out some off-line coding with our Cody-Roby kit.
  • Something to work with and learn.Show participants how fun it can be to create something on their own. Check out our list of resources and search the web for existing lesson plans, workshop programs and adjust them to your group’s needs. If you have existing computer equipment at the venue, make sure they already have the necessary software installed and provide participants with instructions on how the installation can be done on their own devices.
  • Register participants. If you have limited spaces available, you can use tools like online forms like Wufoo, Google Forms or event pages on Facebook or Eventbrite to collect registrations. While we do favour free to attend events, you can charge a small fee to cover the costs of the event. Alternately, you can turn to local IT companies or startups for sponsorship.
  • Pin your event on the Code Week map!

How to organise your event?

  • The format of your coding event is up to you, but we do recommend that you include some practical, hands-on time, where participants can create on their own and, or tinker with some hardware.
  • You can use whatever tools and technologies you like, but we do favour freely available open source material.
  • Smile! A friendly atmosphere will break the ice and motivate learning.
  • Snacks and drinks. If your event is a couple of hours your participants will need a break. If you can’t provide snacks and drinks, ask participants to bring and share with each other.
  • Ask participants to show and present what they have created to each other at the end of your event. Makes everyone proud!
  • Talk about your event! Talk about your event on social media. Use #CodeEU and @CodeWeekEU. Talk to your friends, the local press, make a press release!
  • Don’t forget to add your event on the Code Week map!

Promotion material

Feel free to use any parts of the following press release for your own marketing:

You can also use the Europe Code week logo, as long as the event you are planning fits with our guidelines.

Questions?

If you have questions about organising and promoting your #codeEU event, get in touch with one of the EU Code Week Ambassadors from your country.

 

Source of this article: http://events.codeweek.eu/guide/

 

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