Coding Club

Spooky sprites, creative coders, and growing confidence: A Code Club story from Maine

At Veazie Community School in Veazie, Maine (USA), Code Club is more than an after-school activity — it’s a creative space where young people explore, experiment, and grow into confident makers.

Code Club mentor Adrián Arias Palomo has been running the club for several years, and along the way has seen everything from spooky Scratch projects to former club members heading off to college with coding skills they still use today.

A group of children and an adult pose together in front of a screen displaying 'VCS CODE CLUB.' The children, showing various hairstyles and playful expressions, participate in a coding club activity.

Projects that spark excitement

Some projects just click — and for Adrián’s club, timing and theme can make a big difference.

“The Scratch Ghostbusters project is always a hit around Halloween,” Adrián says. “I’m consistently impressed by how motivated creators become when the theme is spooky.”

The project’s success isn’t just about ghosts and ghouls, though; its open-ended nature gives creators plenty of room to express themselves. By choosing their own sprites and customising how their projects behave, learners can make something that feels truly their own.

Creators often also have varied making styles and preferences, and Adrián has seen this variety play out in his club sessions too. For example, a version of the Mandala Scratch project proved especially popular with young people who enjoy more artistic, visual work.

Two children with green hair sitting in a library on blue couches, each using a laptop. Shelves of books are visible in the background.

When young people surprise you

Ask any Code Club mentor, and they will tell you that some of the best moments happen unexpectedly. Adrián experiences those sorts of moments regularly.

“They are constantly surprising me with their creativity,” he says.

One standout example came while creators were recreating the classic Google Chrome Dino game using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. One creator decided to redesign the sprites to make their own unique and creative version of the game. You can try it yourself here.

And in Adrián’s experience, the surprises don’t stop when young people leave the club.

“I’ve also been pleasantly surprised when young people who are no longer in Code Club share games and projects they’ve continued to work on independently,” Adrián explains. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see them grow into confident, independent coders.”

With the Code Club having been established at the school for several years now, some of Adrián’s earliest creators have finished their schooling and are now in higher education or work. For Adrián, seeing that long-term impact has been one of the most meaningful parts of running the club.

Lessons learned along the way

One of Adrián’s biggest takeaways is the importance of listening.

“Giving young people more agency and a voice in what they want to learn truly pays off,” he says.

By tailoring learning to young people’s interests, the club has expanded its range of activities, covering more projects and technologies. Learners have explored physical computing with micro:bit and Circuit Playground Express, experimented with interactive storytelling using Bitsy, and dived into puzzle game design with PuzzleScript.

That flexibility has benefited everyone — including Adrián himself.

“I have learned a lot along the way!” he adds.

Support from the wider school community has also had a big impact. Adrián is quick to acknowledge the role of a flexible, encouraging environment.

“I’m very fortunate to work in a small, supportive school that values this kind of flexibility. A special shout-out to Principal Timothy Tweedie and librarian Martha Shannon for their support and for allowing us to use such a wonderful space.”

Two children in a library sitting on a blue couch; one is reading a book while the other uses a laptop, with large windows showing snow outside.

Whether it’s spooky Scratch games, fun pixel dinosaurs, or creators continuing to code long after they have left the club, Adrián’s story is a powerful reminder of what happens when young people are given space, support, and a voice in their learning.

Want to start your own Code Club?

If you have been inspired by Veazie Community School, learn how you can start a club in your community today.

A Code Club for every community: Our new offer for trusts and local authorities

Last year we announced a bold ambition — to see a Code Club in every school and library across the UK. Today we’re excited to announce the next step in this journey — a package of support for multi academy trusts and local authorities who are interested in establishing Code Clubs across their network.

A cheerful instructor engaging with a young participant in a tech club, both appearing excited and joyful. Text overlay reads 'Join the club' with decorative stars.

Why this is important

Feedback from educators, as well as independent research, tells us that Code Club works. Not only does it help young people develop their programming skills, but it also builds life skills like confidence, resilience and problem solving. We also know that to achieve our aims, we need to have a great package for trusts and local authorities that makes it easy to get new Code Clubs up and running.

Grounded in feedback

Over the past year, we’ve worked with teachers, librarians, and school leaders across the UK to explore how we can make it easier to support organisations to set up Code Clubs at scale.

Part of this work saw us partner with teachers from Three Spires Trust — a Church of England multi academy trust in Staffordshire — for a hands-on training day focused on the practical side of setting up new Code Clubs. Together, we explored the value of Code Club, how to structure sessions, how to use technologies like Scratch and the micro:bit in non-formal settings, and how to navigate common challenges of running a club.

By the end of the day, teachers felt more confident and better equipped to run Code Clubs in their own settings.

“This initiative will empower our pupils with the digital skills they need for the future, opening doors to creativity, problem solving, and innovation” – Chris Leek, Head of ICT & Systems at Three Spires Trust

Following the training, the Trust established six Code Clubs across its academies and has since brought creators together through a trust-wide coding competition led by the King’s CofE Academy Code Club.

This impact, moving from initial training to embedded, scalable delivery, is what we aim to support more organisations to achieve across the UK.

A group of adults in a classroom setting attending a coding workshop, with one instructor presenting on a screen. Participants are actively engaged with laptops open, and a banner for Code Club is visible in the background.

An offer that works for you

Code Club is already free — which is a great foundation — but for new Impact Partners, we’re pleased to offer you:

  • A dedicated member of our team to work with you to get new Code Clubs up and running
  • Training for your team on how to run a great Code Club experience
  • Exclusive partner logos to use on your website and social posts
  • Resources to promote and celebrate your clubs and the chance to be included in our global communications
  • Priority places at our community events
  • Access to a digital platform to monitor and manage your clubs
  • A welcome pack including some of our most popular resources
  • And of course, easy to follow projects for your young people, including our collection of AI projects
Two women engaged in conversation at a table with a laptop and a water bottle. One woman is sitting, smiling, while the other is leaning over, looking at the laptop screen.

We’re just getting started, you can too!

This is just the beginning. As we develop new partnerships across the UK, we are committed to developing this package of support even further, listening to the advice you give us. Code Club is about more than just coding — it’s about giving every child essential life skills, and helping them have fun along the way. 

Contact us today to learn more about how we can work together to give every young person the opportunity to be part of Code Club

Full Stack Vision Foundation: Empowering the next generation of Caribbean creators through Code Club

Full Stack Vision Foundation, a Code Club partner, is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to create the foundations for knowledge in the digital sector and provide opportunities for children in the Caribbean through activities like Code Club.

Ruhee Shah, Global Partnerships Coordinator at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, spoke to Bruce Harms, Founder and President of Full Stack Vision Foundation, about their work and how Code Clubs are inspiring the next generation of coders in the Caribbean.

Engaging the next generation of Caribbean makers

Since launching in 2022, Full Stack Vision Foundation has grown from a single library session in Oranjestad to a thriving network of ten clubs. The foundation is driven by a “full-stack” philosophy,  meaning it works on every level of the community, from youth programs to regional digital strategy. 

To engage young people who might not initially see themselves as “coders”, Bruce uses technology that feels relevant to their daily lives. By using Raspberry Pis and BBC micro:bits to build wildlife cameras or retro gaming consoles, he demonstrates the practical uses of these tools for islanders. He often demonstrates to coders how these devices can solve real-world problems, such as a Pi-powered door opener for a family member with limited mobility or a micro:bit “Heart Listener.”

“Our ecosystem of Code Clubs have no boundaries: we have 7-year-olds doing microbits, parents joining in learning to Scratch, university students helping out in sessions and teachers getting inspired to learn.” – Bruce Harms, Founder and President of Full Stack Vision Foundation

For Bruce, tailoring content to the local context is a core part of the learning experience. When using the Experience AI curriculum, clubs analyse pollution data from Aruba. In Scratch, a project about growing sugar is adapted to focus on the aloe vera plant. These cultural and historical contact points help creators see themselves as part of a global movement that respects local roots.

“The word ‘resilience’ has a special meaning for us islanders. Raspberry Pis and Code Club are the building blocks for a sustainable future.” – Bruce Harms, Founder and President of Full Stack Vision Foundation

Building pathways to STEM careers

The impact of Code Club is evident in the individual journeys of the participants. Former mentors and students are now using their Code Club experience as a foundation for higher education and international STEM competitions. For example, Jean-Luc transitioned from mentoring into university, and Ruart secured a top spot in a global robotics competition. Another creator, Gervinio, started as a CoderDojo “Ninja” and was inspired to pursue studies at Instituto Pedagogico Arubano with a focus on cybersecurity.

“We want to see more of these stories and hope to benchmark these journeys as a whole.” – Bruce Harms, Founder and President of Full Stack Vision Foundation

Two young individuals engage with a red laptop during a collaborative activity at a table, one with glasses looking focused, while the other holds a green box and observes.

Building a Caribbean-wide network

Looking ahead, the Full Stack Vision Foundation has ambitious plans to continue growing its digital ecosystem. This year, they established the Caribbean’s first Raspberry Pi Lab at the EduCampus Code Club, providing a dedicated space for more advanced making and experimentation.

By building partnerships with organisations like UNESCO and the University of the West Indies, Bruce is helping to connect the region through a shared digital language. To support their mission of uniting the region, they are also launching codeclubcaribbean.org. This new platform will serve as a hub to share stories and resources, helping to onboard new clubs in islands like Barbados, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.

“Giving young people the ability to make, create, and sustain technological solutions is what the Caribbean wants.”
– Bruce Harms, Founder and President of Full Stack Vision Foundation

A young boy sitting at a table with a laptop, interacting with an adult man who is helping him with a device. Several individuals are visible in the background, engaged in various activities.

Inspired by the work in Full Stack Vision Foundation’s work in the Caribbean? Find out more on how to run your own Code Club.