Code Clubs aren’t just for the classroom, as today’s blog post shows. Last week, we announced that we are extending Code Club to 9- to 13-year-olds: as well as supporting more schools to offer Code Clubs, this means that non-school venues, like libraries, will be able to offer their clubs to a wider age group.

With the third video in our #CharityTuesday coverage, we shed some light on running a Code Club in a library environment. To offer a little more information on the themes of each video, we’ll be releasing #CharityTuesday blog posts for each of our new Code Club videos.

Code Club for libraries

We visited Tile Hill Library to find out more about their Code Club, and how easy it can be for libraries to start their own Code Clubs.

Across the world, more and more Code Clubs are running in venues like libraries, offering a great space for children from all local schools to come together. The library setting helps the children to meet new people and expand their experiences with peers from different communities. Furthermore, it offers a wider scope for club times, as many public libraries are also open at weekends.

At Tile Hill Library, they run an after school Code Club for one hour each week with the help of volunteers from the local area.

This out-of-school environment comes with its own unique challenges and rewards. “The greatest challenge for our Code Club is also our greatest triumph,” explains Charmain Osborne, Assistant Library Manager at Ipswich County Library. “The club has been more popular than I imagined. The waiting list continues to grow faster than we can create spaces in our club!”

Increase volunteer opportunities

By running a Code Club outside of school hours, you also increase your opportunity for volunteers. “In the first instance, the Code Club website is a good resource for finding a local volunteer. I’d definitely recommend Saturday as the day to run the club. Many more IT professionals will be free on that day,” advises Paul Sinnett, who runs a Code Club in the Croydon Central Library.

Get involved in Code Club!

Code Club is a nationwide network of volunteer-led after-school coding clubs for children. It offers a great place for children of all abilities to learn and build upon their skills amongst like-minded peers.

There are currently over 10,000 active Code Clubs across the world and official Code Club communities in ten countries. If you want to find out more, visit the Code Club UK website. Check out Code Club International if you are outside of the UK.