Volunteer Mentors

Mentor voices: Chris on empowering independent coders in Minnesota

We’re sharing insights from the incredible mentors who guide and inspire young coders. It’s their unique perspectives and the positive learning environments they foster that truly make these clubs thrive and help our global community grow.

Meet Chris, a passionate mentor involved with Normandale Hills Code Club in Bloomington, Minnesota, who’s building an environment where coders develop their problem-solving skills, normalise failure, and explore their creativity.

A smiling mentor named Chris from the Normandale Hills Code Club in Minnesota, promoting a positive learning environment for young coders.

Let’s kick things off by asking:

What inspired you to become a Code Club mentor?

Volunteering gave me a great excuse to lean into my computer engineering background and do something fun with my kids, who are fifth and third graders. It’s been a blast helping them and all the other kids learn more about computer science while bringing in some real-world perspectives and industry terms (like rubber duck debugging and pair programming).

What makes Code Club projects engaging for the young people in your club?

Our club did a number of simple projects to start using the micro:bits — things like creating a name badge, making pedometers, and playing the ‘Hot Potato’ game — but what really brought out the imagination and creativity of the kids was challenging them to design a game of their own.  

We brought in real-world concepts like project briefs to get them to think critically about what they wanted to build and how they wanted to approach it. Ideas ranged from simplified versions of FIFA and Madden to variations of existing party games.  

There were several moments where you could see it visibly click for one of the kids — when they realised they were not constrained by the step-by-step tutorial into building a specific thing, but had the freedom to create whatever they could dream up… which was quickly followed up by the slight fear in realising the challenge they were in for!

An illustration of a micro:bit surrounded by colorful graphics, including musical notes, party hats, and hearts against an orange background, symbolizing creativity in coding.
Engage young people in physical computing with Code Club projects that explore the BBC micro:bit

How are Code Club projects helping to ignite excitement, creativity, or lively discussion with creators?

It’s fun to see how all the different projects inspire certain kids — some have been more excited by the more visual projects, while others get joy from customising and making a project their own. 

When they were given their first option to build something of their own design, there were LOTS of questions. They ranged from trying to understand the guardrails to questioning how they were ever going to know how to code it.  

Our challenge to them was to just get started! We encouraged the kids to start writing code and test it when it was small, then write a little more and test it a little more. The emphasis was on letting the code come together iteratively, and tackling challenges as they came up instead of trying to anticipate all of them ahead of time.

What impact do you believe Code Club projects have on creators’ understanding of coding concepts?

One of the biggest benefits I see is normalising failure — even if following a tutorial, most kids make at least one mistake the first time doing a coding project. And that’s okay!  

Debugging code is a normal part of the development process, and that makes it safer for the creators to experiment, mess up, and learn along the way. My hope is that the willingness to try (and sometimes fail!) will extend into other parts of their lives and inspire them to take more risks than they may have otherwise.

How does your Code Club empower young coders to develop a sense of independence?

As the club has gone on, our young people have been given projects with less and less guidance, moving on from step-by-step tutorials to projects where they define their own problems. 

We frequently talk about the creative side of coding — how you, the coder, get to decide how to solve a problem. Your code may not look exactly like your neighbour’s. There is no one ‘right’ answer. Giving the kids the freedom to solve the problem in their own way builds a deeper sense of ownership of the solution than having everyone learning to do things exactly the same.  

We also give kids the opportunity to pair and partner with others, and put their collective brainpower to work on tackling a problem. This helps them learn alternative perspectives and broadens their understanding.

Has Chris’ story inspired you to make an impact? Join our community of passionate mentors! With active Code Clubs in over 100 countries, there’s a place for you. Ready to get started? Check out our Mentor at a Code Club page.

Supporting Code Club mentors

Code Clubs thrive on the energy and dedication of volunteer mentors. These amazing individuals generously give their time and expertise to inspire the next generation of coders. But even the most enthusiastic volunteer needs support! Here are some ways to show your appreciation and keep your mentors engaged.

Girl sat at a desk looking at a computer sceen. Behind her are two adults, leaning in and looking at the screen.
Volunteer mentors help to keep Code Clubs running.

Recognise and appreciate

There are some easy ways to show how much you value the support of the mentors at your Code Club: 

  • Regular shout-outs: Publicly acknowledge mentors’ contributions during club sessions, in newsletters, or on social media.
  • Small gestures: A simple “thank you” goes a long way. Why not suggest that the young creators code a thank-you card for their mentors at the end of the term? 
  • Celebrate milestones: Mark anniversaries of mentors’ involvement — for example, after they’ve been volunteering for six months. Also, celebrate their successes — this could be when a mentor has supported a creator to enter Coolest Projects or send their code to space with the European Astro Pi Challenge.

Provide ongoing training and development

Not all mentors will come from a coding background. You can show your support and make them feel like valued members of your Code Club by helping them gain new skills and confidence: 

  • Workshops and webinars: Encourage mentors to take advantage of the many online workshops and webinars offered by Code Club. Interested mentors can learn new coding languages, concepts, and mentoring techniques in a supportive, friendly environment.
  • Peer mentoring: Pair experienced mentors with newer ones for guidance and support.
  • Access to resources: Point mentors towards the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s bank of free courses. If there’s an article or book you’ve found helpful, share it with them. Everyone loves a recommendation!
Sign up to a Raspberry Pi free computing course

Create a supportive community

When we create a supportive community we provide a space for mentors to share experiences, challenges, and successes with others. There are some easy ways to do this: 

  • Regular meetings: Organise regular meetings for mentors to connect, share ideas, and discuss challenges.
  • Online communication: All mentors can join our Code Club Slack instance. In this online forum, mentors can chat to each other, get inspired, and find answers to a range of questions from our friendly global community. 
  • Coffee and conversation: Encourage mentors to sign up for Code Club online meetups. There’s no agenda at these meetups — they’re just a space for mentors and club leaders to share ideas, ask questions, and collaborate. 
Five adults are sat on a long table all working on laptops.
Find a space for mentors to meet and share experiences

Value their time and expertise

No matter your mentors’ backgrounds, they have something to offer your Code Club! Make sure you value their time and set clear expectations from the beginning. This will help with volunteer burnout and ensure everyone has a rewarding experience. 

  • Clear expectations: Communicate clearly about the time commitment and responsibilities involved in being a mentor at your club.
  • Flexibility: Be flexible with scheduling and allow mentors to contribute in ways that suit their skills and availability.
  • Listen to feedback: Actively seek and respond to mentors’ suggestions for club improvements.

These tips will help create a positive and inclusive Code Club environment, where all mentors feel welcome and valued. 

Show your appreciation for your Code Club mentors at your next session. Use our ‘From me to you‘ Scratch project to create a personalised thank-you card.