CoderDojo

The CoderDojo format is the result of intensive design, development and a lot of real world testing completed by the founders in the original Dojo in Cork, Ireland and refined by volunteers who created their own Dojos in communities and businesses. CoderDojo is an open source learning environment that really delivers. CoderDojo is free, and there is no central organisation that wants to charge you. It is full of fun and freedom for young people. If you need anything for your CoderDojo go out and ask your local community; it’s leaders in business and government.  CoderDojo is a no brainer when it comes to getting support from nearly any high tech business and every Dojo location so far has been donated or locally sponsored. 

 

History

 

CoderDojo is a non-profit global movement founded by James Whelton and Bill Liao. It was first started in James Whelton’s school in early 2011 when he received some publicity after hacking the iPod Nano which lead to creating interest of coding in  younger students. He setup a computer club in his school (PBC Cork) where he started teaching basic HTML and CSS. Later that year he met Bill Liao, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, who was interested in growing the project into something bigger. In June 2011 the first CoderDojo was launched in the National Software Centre in Cork which became very successful. The Cork Dojo analyzed that people traveled from Dublin frequently to attend their sessions. Owing to the popularity, a Dublin Dojo was launched soon after in Google’s Montevetro building. By making the movement open source, it led to hundreds of dedicated champions setting up more Dojos around Ireland and subsequently around the world

Community

• Champion

If you are reading this then you probably care enough to be the CoderDojo champion so your first job is go get a space by telling the story of CoderDojo and your vision for it in your community. A champion needs to be someone who will just show up week in week out to open the doors and be a point of contact for that Dojo! Try to be consistent with your sessions, if you change the date of a dojo or cancel a session people will often show up on the wrong day. A champion does not need to be technical, just passionate about the CoderDojo philosophy!

• Mentors

You need people who will come help out, teach sessions, help tidy up and get the space ready. Have at least 2 people with coding skills to start, you will usually find that more technical people are quickly attracted to the session once they hear about it. 5-8 regular technical people is good for a Dojo that has matured for a few months. You can expect that there will be a drop off in number of mentors after the initial enthusiasm wears off, so it is worth getting more mentors on board than you think you need.

 

• Good ratio of mentors

To kids is about 1:10 at most, at least when starting off. As your dojo gets going, and depending on how the dojo is going (project based, topic based, free-form you may be able to run just fine with fewer mentors. E.g. in Cork there is often a successful ratio of 1:25 as it is a free form Dojo. 

• Good rule of thumb:

Is to stay under 13-15 for the core group of volunteers, this allows For a chain email between everyone, healthy discussion, and not too many voices pulling in different directions. If you have more than this, select the technical specialists and then put everyone else on a mailing list to contact with group announcements.

 

• Volunteers:

Who do not have coding skills are still very useful: answering email, managing ticketing, setting up/tearing down the venue, manning the registration desk accept all offers of help

 

• Parents:

Parents are the very best place to start looking for both of the above, Mentors and Champions. They are frequently the most committed mentors in a Dojo. 

 

Legalities and Child/Mentor Protection

The foremost principle to remember with all bureaucracy and red tape is common sense. The information provided on this page and elsewhere on the CoderDojo is a guide on how a CoderDojo can be created, however each dojo is operated independently, and they are not directly connected or affiliated in any way. We do not endorse any Dojo or Individual taking on risk. Laws may vary between jurisdictions, and it may be appropriate to seek legal counsel.

CoderDojo in Ireland : A CoderDojo is known under Irish Law as an ‘unincorporated association’ of Individuals. That is a group that does not have a separate legal personality of its own. This is the usual setup for a community or social group. Any possible liability can be dealt with by having adequate insurance cover. For example, a CoderDojo might meet on a weekly basis in a local hotel. The hotel’s public liability insurance will cover accidents happening on its premises. The disadvantages are that the members of the association may find themselves personally liable for the actions or debts of the association.

 

• General Guideline on Liability

Every individual has a ‘duty of care’. If any person is aware of a negative situation and does ‘not take reasonable steps’ to mitigate it, then they may be held responsible. In most cases of personal injury the closest connection to the situation will be implicated, i.e. the building and therefore its insurance policy.

 

• General guideline on conduct of class

In most cases Dojo's are fluid which actually lowers the individual risk for any one person, because Tort law would not clearly define who is responsible. It would then depend on the situation and the duty of care of each person involved.

 

• General Legal Guideline

All collection of personal details should take into account fair processing under section 2nd of the 1988 Data Protection act, and in all cases where there is a minor involved it is advisable to get the consent of a parent or legal guardian.