HammerTown CoderDojo further expands local learn to code movement

This afternoon at Mohawk College (@MohawkCollege) I was able to attend Hamilton’s first ever CoderDojo event:

CoderDojo is an open source, volunteer led movement orientated around running free not-for-profit coding clubs and regular sessions for young people. Since CoderDojo is open source all Dojos are different and completely autonomous!

The HammerTown CoderDojo (@HammertownCDojo) launch event involved an explanation about what the CoderDojo movement is all about and what sort of programming HammerTown CoderDojo is planning to offer. This new initiative is led by McMaster University gScale lab researcher Brock Dubbels, and the inaugural event started off in a totally packed room filled with children and parents before moving to the computer labs.

Inside the computer labs the group I was with used the light-bot web app to teach simple algorithms including procedures in a fun social puzzle solving sort of way.

HammerTown CoderDojo joins and expands upon a growing movement of local learn to code events and initiatives. Just last weekend GHTGT (@GHGTrecycling) held a Tech Camp and Mabel’s Labels (@Mabelhood) ran a HelloWorld Camp. And let’s not forget the McMaster software outreach program that has reached over 1500 Hamilton-area children this year, Gr8 Designs for Gr8 Girls and the new Ladies Learning Code series of events too!

Software is written by people and tech startups are founded by people. If we want to continue to grow this industry these initiatives couldn’t be more important!