Community Stories

Micro-interview with Code Club educator Ashwani Tiwari

In our new micro-interview blog series, we chat to educators and young coding enthusiasts about their Code Club experience. Enjoy!

Ashwani Tiwari runs “Maker Lab”, a network of Code Clubs in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. 

Maker Lab was established in 2022 and partners with government schools in remote tribal areas to create maker labs for coding and tinkering. This network of clubs meets twice a week for one hour, with 1600 students (1200 girls and 400 boys) participating across 12 schools. 

Ashwani Tawari

What inspired you to start a Code Club network across Rajasthan?

I see Code Club as an opportunity to empower young girls who have limited access to technology and are at risk of being forced into early marriage. Code Club enables girls to co-create an excellent career path after schooling.

Can you give me an example of how girls are benefiting from being in your Code Club?

Yes! Harshita, an 11th grader, crafted an automatic river cleaning boat using a text-based coding language, Scratch, and a Raspberry Pi. She showcases how creativity and technology can come together to solve real-world challenges.

Her innovation earned her local acclaim, and secured her seed funding and a pivotal delay in her marriage. Enrolled as the first girl in her village to study science, she symbolises empowerment and the transformative power of education.

In what other ways does participating in a Code Club benefit young people’s future opportunities?

Coding isn’t just about opportunities; it’s a vehicle for empowering young people with problem-solving skills, computational thinking, and entrepreneurial talents. It opens multiple pathways, nurturing creativity and adaptability, preparing them for success in a rapidly evolving digital world, and using technology to change how we learn. 

Six girls behind a table, on the table are flyers and a laptop. Above the table on a washing line are posters.
Young coders from Maker Lab

Why do young people in Rajasthan find Code Club appealing? 

Young people’s attraction to adventure often sparks their interest in coding, as they see it as a tool to solve challenges and pursue careers in aspirational fields like STEM.

Code Club networks offer a sense of belonging and recognition for young coders. Members feel a unique identity and a deeper connection to the coding community. Achieving milestones, like 100 hours of coding experience and the opportunity to mentor others, instils a sense of accomplishment and pride.

Also, coding becomes a problem-solving tool, bridging the gap between ideas and reality, and empowering them to shape the world around them and fulfil their ambitions.

You mentioned learners in your area particularly enjoy solving real-world problems. What types of coding projects are they using to do this?

One example is Manisha, a 15-year-old 10th grader from a remote tribal community, who ingeniously crafted a remote-controlled automatic fertiliser spray machine to aid her father’s farm work in scorching sunlight.

Her innovation has not only eased her father’s workload but has also benefited numerous farmers, inspiring plans for further product development to enhance agricultural efficiency in their community. 

To accomplish this mission, Manisha learnt Scratch, a block-based programming language, and its application with a Raspberry Pi to control the hardware with Virtual Network Computing (VNC). She is also starting on her path to learn the Internet of Things (IoT) to further this project.

What is your vision for the future of Code Clubs in Rajasthan?

This network of Code Clubs embodies a movement for systemic change in STEM education, especially in Rajasthan’s educationally disadvantaged districts. It democratises computing and STEM learning, ensuring equitable access for all. Empowering the next generation with essential digital skills will promote a more inclusive and promising future for all learners.

Thank you, Ashwani!

If you enjoyed this micro-interview, read our micro-interview with Sue and learn about her experiences of using the Code Club resources and projects in her club in the UK

Our Code Clubs are empowering young learners and transforming communities with the help of dedicated volunteers. Are you interested in making a difference and launching your own Code Club in India? Reach out to india@raspberrypi.org 

Micro-interview with the new US Club Program Coordinator Amanda

So far in our micro-interview series, we’ve chatted to educators and young coding enthusiasts and heard about their Code Club experiences. For this interview, we’re doing something a little bit different. We’re featuring one of our very own Code Club team members!

Meet Amanda, our new Club Program Coordinator in the US! Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Amanda joined our team last month and has already blown us away with her brilliant ideas and her sparkling personality. 

Join us as we get to know Amanda!

Photo Credit: Daniella Almona

What Code Club projects do you enjoy?  

At the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair, I worked on the ‘Random sparkles’ project with the students who came up to our table. It was my first time doing this project but WOW did those kids teach me a lot. 

Instead of making random sparkles appear, I saw one student intentionally create a smiley face, which inspired me to create and teach others to make any shape they like. 

I’m also excited to try the ‘Dodgeball’ project in Module 2 of Scratch. Dodgeball was one of my favourite games in primary school, it never gets old!

Which communities in the USA will you be supporting? Can you explain how you plan to engage with these communities?

I live in Georgia and am very excited to start growing and supporting the Code Club community here. I’m eager to visit organisations that are already established in the education sector and see how the Raspberry Pi Foundation can amplify their mission.

My role isn’t exclusively working with adults to set clubs up, I also want to listen to the young people who attend our Code Clubs — they always remind me of the reason why we do what we do!

Additionally, I am beyond excited to begin our webinar series with Kevin. We’re all in this together, so as much as we want to get to know our clubs, they should also get a chance to get to know us too.

Can you share a surprising skill or hidden talent you have?

I can skateboard.

If you could have a superpower to support the USA Code Club community, what would it be and why?

I’d love to be able to sense who wants to start or be part of a Code Club anywhere in the US, so I could equip them with the resources they need to fulfil their coding goals and dreams!

If you could say one thing to all the Code Club volunteers and educators in the USA, what would it be?

Through your hands-on work in equipping our nation’s young people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence in digital making, you’re helping them build a brighter future.

Your drive to educate young people in coding inspires me to work hard for you in return.

Thank you so much, Amanda. And welcome to the team! 

If you’d like to get to know more about Amanda and the other half of our US clubs team, Kevin, join their monthly webinars every third Thursday at 12pm PT/2pm CT/3pm CT. 

Dreams on track: Inspiring the next generation with industry connections

Children often dream about amazing careers as astronauts, inventors, or racing car drivers. By introducing them to industry professionals, we have the opportunity to bridge the gap between dreams and reality.

After more than 35 years, Gary Foote, Chief Information Officer at MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, returned to his former primary school in Cambridgeshire, UK. He brought with him not just memories, but also a box of Formula 1 car electronics, a wealth of experience, and a humble request to join their Code Club session. 

We accompanied him on this journey to discover why he believes it’s crucial for children to engage with industry professionals, and to hear what he thinks of Code Club. 

Gary a classroom at a table with a group of children surrounding him
Gary having fun at Code Club!

Someone like me

When children see professionals who they can identify with succeeding in STEM fields, it sends a powerful message and introduces a sense of possibility that they too can dream big and their dreams can become a reality.

Although few 6-year-olds (16%) worry about what job they will get in the future, by age 11, 46% are worried, and this increases to 65% by age 15. Seeing a future that they could aspire to is vital in supporting young people to understand how they can take action to make that future a reality.

“I’ve been obsessed with anything four wheels since I was a toddler, and began programming computers while still in primary school. It wasn’t until I was in my teenage years that I realised I could combine my two passions, and that combining motorsport and computing was a career possibility. I love being able to show children that there are opportunities in Formula 1 for people across all walks of life and expertise, not just driving! From STEM subjects like maths and engineering well into the arts, design, and creatives.”

Gary Foote, CIO at Haas F1

Code Club in action

The journey from school to the workplace becomes real for young people when former students like Gary come back into schools as speakers or Code Club leaders. These experiences can help broaden students’ horizons and enable them to make more informed choices, helping them to shape their future lives.

“It’s important for children to have the opportunity to talk to industry professionals, as they are the future. They will be driving the innovation of future technology platforms — they will be solving big world problems.”

Gary Foote, CIO at Haas F1

How many sensors?

In a Formula 1 car, more than 220 sensors meticulously monitor every input and output throughout a race.

Inputs and outputs are key concepts we teach young learners at Code Club. Thanks to the knowledge gained through their Code Club sessions, the children had an insight into how sensors function within a car, learning how the information gathered by these sensors enables engineers to ensure optimal performance of the car.

“The children were brimming with curiosity and loved hearing about the world of Formula 1. It can sometimes be challenging for children to understand the real-world
application of STEM, so to hear how the concepts they are learning at Code Club can be used to solve problems in Formula 1 was enlightening for them!”

Zoe, Code Club Programme Coordinator

Don’t forget that Code Club has a ‘Code Club explains computer science’ poster series showcasing key concepts such as inputs and outputs, selection, and variables. If you run a Code Club, you can log in and download the posters from the website.

Our ‘Code Club explains computer science’ poster series

Gary sums up his Code Club experience

We regularly ask young people to summarise Code Club in just three words, and we were keen to ask Gary for the three words he would choose too!

Here are the three words Gary picked to sum up his Code Club visit:

Encouraging
“These kids are the future of technology; we have an obligation (and especially as a technologist) to mentor, guide, and help these children come up through these technology platforms, so technology can keep on developing. I really see this in Code Club.”

Inspiring
“The enthusiasm these children have is wonderful! As adults, we could take a lot from that.”

Enjoyment
“Children (and adults) perform at their best when they do something they enjoy.”

Following Gary’s Code Club visit, who knows, maybe a Code Club graduate will join the motorsport industry in the future!

If you’re interested in inspiring the next generation, why not consider setting up a Code Club in your local school? Find out how: https://codeclub.org/en/get-involved