Club story: Te Ara Koropiko West Spreydon

Once the last bell rings at Te Ara Koropiko, 50+ tamariki come together for an hour of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. This is the story of a large kura based Code Club; prepare to be inspired!

Te Ara Koropiko, a beautiful kura nestled close to the Port Hills in Ōtautahi, is the setting for one of the largest school-based Code Clubs in New Zealand. Digital Future Aotearoa's facilitator Kate went along to a session and discovered a thriving hub of innovation and collaboration:

"Instantly, I knew this was a happy place of learning; there was enthusiastic chatter and excitement as chrome books opened, micro:bits unboxed, and friends sought one another to settle down in a comfy spot."

With three separate groups running side by side, there is a place of Turangawaewae for every tamaiti at Code Club. Tamariki are supported in working through projects at a pace and level that is challenging yet achievable. Everything from Scratch Jr to electronics and Python programming is explored across three groups based on experience and capability.

The younger tamariki used Scratch Jr to create simple animations with block-based code. Once projects are completed, students showcase their mahi with the help of kaiako, Chromecasting to a large screen to share with the group.

In another area of the learning hub, Micro:bits are used to create a compass in Microsoft's MakeCode. Tamariki are busy writing and debugging code with support from kaiako and Code Club volunteers. 

Kate took the opportunity to connect with two long standing club volunteers, Kevin and Luuk. She heard about their aspirations and journey with Code Club so far. 

Kevin, a local software developer, became involved with the club through his stepchildren, he explains:

"It was a great way for me to spend time with them, for them to understand what I do for a job, and I was able to give back to my community. I've always loved programming; it was my main hobby before becoming a career. However, the fun of it all had been lost over the years as my career took over. Volunteering at Code Club has provided me with an outlet. I can take a break from the more serious side of work-life and try to have fun teaching kids, which has been a big challenge for me as it's outside my comfort zone."

Luuk has been volunteering with the club since early 2018. As a software engineering team lead at Allied, he has been able to contribute and support tamariki with his ninja coding skills and industry knowledge. 

With such a large group of learners, the dedication and contribution of volunteers are pivotal in making the sessions successful as a learning experience for tamariki. 

Providing ākonga with an understanding of how computers work and being able to code them is really important for a child's development explains Luuk.

"I'm always keen for the kids to understand what's behind the things they're doing, although sometimes it's better to just let them play with it and figure it all out!"

With the number of tamariki getting involved in Code Club ever-growing, kaiako Matt Brorens is keen to expand the club's volunteer base. 

Kevin shares his wisdom for anyone keen to join the Code Club whānau. "For new volunteers, I think the first thing is to leave any professional training/background at the door, go slowly & most importantly, have fun!"

Luuk encourages anybody keen on coding to volunteer. The Digital Technologies and coding curriculum areas are still new to teachers, so any help is appreciated, and it's rewarding helping the kids to learn.

Code Club has a volunteer base of around a thousand kiwis nationwide, giving the Code Club community one hour out of their week. If you are keen to get involved, head to codeclub.nz to register your interest and join our coding whānau!