When Coder Dojo met Raspberry Pi

26 October, 2012

Coder Dojo met Raspberry Pi for the first time at the AxisBIC Going International Conference in Ballymaloe. The Coder Dojo Pioneers gained access to a new low cost computer on a chip called Raspberry Pi for programming and learning new skills.

Raspberry Pi was introduced to Ireland this month in a MasterClass by AxisBIC and Jack Lang, who co-founded the Raspberry Pi organisation back in Cambridge University in 2006. Concerned about the year-on-year decline in the numbers and skills levels of A Level students applying to read Computer Science, the Raspberry Pi Foundation develop, manufacture and distribute an ultra-low-cost computer, for use in teaching computer programming to children. The foundation exists to promote the study of computer science and related topics, especially at school level, and to put the fun back into learning computing.

Michael O'Connor, AxisBIC; Lorcan O'Brien, Coder Dojo and Jack Lang co-founder Raspberry Pi
(Jack is holding a Raspberry Pi)

6,000 kids a week are now trained through Coder Dojo in computer programming and the introduction of Raspberry Pi, a computer on a chip at €35, will help to accelerate this teaching process. The synergy that exists with these two movements is huge and the possibilities endless.

Jack believes that computer science must not be seen as an optional extra and Raspberry Pi aims to bridge that gap by providing a low-cost, creative and fun way to learn about programming and electronics, while Coder Dojo, a global movement of free coding clubs for young people has a similar objective.

At the recent AxisBIC Going International Conference in Ballymaloe, Jack Lang, Serial Entrepreneur, Business Angel and co-founder of the Raspberry Pi foundation really wowed the delegates at the AxisBIC conference. On valuation Jack Lang said that "If you are a start-up that's not shifted anything then you are worth nothing!" also reiterating that "The product you sell is your company". Jack Lang also presented a master class on Raspberry Pi to Coder Dojo.

Also participating in the Conference was Coder Dojo, with just over a year since the first Coder Dojo in the NSC Campus in Mahon. The Coder Dojo Pioneers Bill Liao, Lindsay MacVean and Harry Moran (world's youngest Mac App developer) came to give us an insight into the impact Coder Dojo is having around the world. Coder Dojo, a movement running free not-for-profit computer coding clubs for young people has expanded across the globe in the last year and access to Raspberry Pi will expand the reach even further particularly with those kids who don’t own their own computer.

6,000 kids a week are now trained through Coder Dojo in computer programming and the introduction of Raspberry Pi, a computer on a chip at €35, will help to accelerate this teaching process. The synergy that exists with these two movements is huge and the possibilities endless.