We’ve been thrilled at the community response as the Code Clubs have grown. Every week I get emails from parents wanting to get their kids coding. And volunteers are stepping up to help mentor the clubs, making the whole operation possible (thanks volunteers!).

There are a few questions I have heard a lot that, combined, can make a difference for the code club effort.

1. I want to learn coding too. Can adults join the club? – Yes! One of my favorite unexpected side effect of the code club is the interest I have seen among parents, friends and other adults. Anyone can learn coding, and it has never been easier to get started. A partial answer to this question is that you can setup accounts and start learning on your own. You just need an internet connection. Here are a few links to help you get going:

• code.org – visual language, great for first exposure to the basic concepts
• scratch.mit.edu – visual language, allows you to create lots of games and animations
• khanacademy.org – javascript tutorials teach you the language of the internet
• codecademy.com – html/css, javascript, python, ruby, and other languages to prepare for “real” web development

2. I want to volunteer, but I don’t know very much (or anything) about programming. Can I still help? – Yes! We are desperate for adult mentors and volunteers so we can introduce more and more kids to coding. Programming is a small part of what I do as a volunteer. Most of my role is a cheerleader, motivator, and facilitator. When I get asked a question about a particular javascript function I am not familiar with, I open a browser with the kid asking the question and show them how to search google for the answer. Then we figure it out together.

So if we combine the answers to questions 1 and 2, what do we get? Are you ready for this?

Adults who want to learn coding should come volunteer at Code Club. 

You will have a blast working with the brightest young minds in Arizona. You will have a motivation to learn coding in your spare time, and cement your learning by teaching others. You will support the Code Club mission of introducing thousands of AZ kids to computer programming.

Right now we are looking for volunteers across the Valley. It’s the bottleneck right now, holding us back from starting another 5 clubs that have already been approved by the host libraries and offices. So email me right now: kelly@azcodeclub.org and I’ll help you get started as a volunteer, even if you have little or no experience with coding.

Image: gefc.ca