Code Club is a global movement of free coding clubs where school-aged young people — called creators — develop the confidence to create with digital technologies. Code Clubs take place in schools and community venues like youth clubs, libraries, and maker spaces and are run by teachers, educators, and volunteers from all walks of life — known as mentors. These incredible mentors make Code Clubs possible and we are so grateful for their hard work.

About the 2025 survey report

This Code Club annual survey report presents key responses from 775 mentors gathered via surveys and feedback from partners.

This year, 7,494 Code Clubs have confirmed they have been active in the last two years, with clubs in 102 countries. We estimate 257,000 creators are involved in clubs and 43% of creators are female. As one UK Code Club mentor put it: “Girls who didn’t think it was for them now have confidence”.

Code Clubs have a positive impact on young creators

In 2024, an independent evaluation by the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education provided evidence of positive outcomes for young people attending Code Clubs. We are continuing to build on this evidence, with 96% of mentors responding to our surveys agreeing that creators have increased skills in computing and digital making, as well as increased confidence to engage with technology as a result of attending a Code Club. 

Here are a few of the examples mentors gave of the impact Code Club has on creators: 

• Confidence: “[Creators become] more confident using technology and making friends. Some really come out of their shell compared to when they started.” – Code Club mentor, UK  
• Skill development: “They come into the club with no coding skills (some barely know how to use a computer) and leave as competent, literate, coders.” – Code Club mentor, Canada
• Enjoyment: “One of our core principles is that coding should be fun… we give them creative ways to expand on the task. They learn to push themselves a bit beyond a task, and look for more things.” – Code Club mentor, the Netherlands  
• Social skills: “One great outcome has been the socialization that occurs. Kids in our club are definitely making friendships and improving their soft skills.” – Code Club mentor, USA  
• Continued participation: “It has increased their passion for tech and how to create new things to solve problems.” – Code Club mentor, Ghana

Increasing access to technology

Code Club also plays an important role in increasing access to technology for creators who would otherwise not have access. We work with partners across the world to run clubs in areas of educational disadvantage to ensure that Code Clubs are available to creators from all backgrounds to address this need.

In some regions, Code Club provides creators with their first significant encounter with digital making. A mentor in Kenya told us that Code Club ensured that creators in his area were not “left behind”. A Code Club mentor in Tunisia told us  “[…] access to coding is very limited, our club contributes to reducing this inequality”.

Next steps

Read the full report to dive deeper into the data and stories from the Code Club community!

We are an impact-focused organisation and are always looking to understand how we can improve and increase the impact we have on the lives of children and young people. Over the coming weeks we will be reviewing the feedback we have received to understand how we can support the Code Club community even better.

The post Discover the incredible impact of Code Club: The Code Club annual survey report 2025 appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries and redefine how we work and learn, it is essential that Kenyan educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills to introduce AI concepts to their learners.

In Kenya, the education system has taken significant steps towards digital literacy through the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which has introduced young learners to coding using Scratch and laid a foundation for tech skills. However, AI is yet to be formally integrated into the curriculum. This has presented an opportunity to prepare teachers to integrate AI into their lessons and inspire the next generation of innovators.

How Experience AI has increased digital literacy

Our partnership with the Raspberry Pi Foundation has been a vital element in the retooling of Kenyan educators. Using the Foundation’s Experience AI resources, which they co-developed with Google DeepMind, we have equipped 441 teachers with practical AI and machine learning skills through hands-on training sessions in five counties: Mombasa, Nairobi, Taita Taveta, Meru, and Nakuru.

Our work to empower young learners with coding, robotics, and AI skills has positioned us as a key driver of digital literacy in Kenya. The Experience AI materials have helped us take key next steps — we’ve scaled up AI education, reached more teachers, and further democratised access to emerging technologies, supporting our goal of ensuring that no child is left behind in the digital revolution. 

To make the delivery of our training sessions as smooth as possible, we’ve joined hands with county governments and local education authorities like the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). In all the counties we’ve been working in, the TSC are actively promoting digital literacy among teachers and have made sure we equip teachers with the understanding and skills to use AI effectively. 

Through our expert trainers, we’ve been able to offer hands-on introductions to AI concepts, provide opportunities for practical problem-solving with machine learning models, and expose participants to real-world AI applications. A great example of the work we’ve done is the training we gave to teachers in Meru County, where they learned to create an AI model that recognises certain food types in supermarkets. Later, in group sessions, participants developed their own diverse and innovative AI models. One group, for instance, designed an AI model for dishwashing that detects dirty dishes and automates the water removal process.

Feedback from training

Through the Experience AI training sessions, many educators gained new confidence and skills, and have already started to integrate AI into their classrooms. 

“I am grateful for the invaluable skills gained through the Experience AI training. The knowledge I’ve acquired will not only enhance my ability to conduct research but also empower me to teach my students how to effectively use AI. This is just the beginning. I look forward to building on this foundation and exploring even greater possibilities with AI.” — Mr. Githinji, Meru, Kenya

In any aspect of life, learning is about shifting perspectives, nurturing curiosity, and embracing new possibilities — this is what drives innovation. The Experience AI training in Kenya has exemplified this, transforming how we think and approach technology.

“I am glad that my county has been considered in this training. I challenge the teachers here to make use of these useful resources to spice up learning in the classroom. I was once a mathematics teacher and I wish I had technology to teach. Thank you Tech Kidz Africa, Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind for empowering these teachers.” — His Excellency Andrew Mwadime, Governor Taita Taveta County

The overwhelming enthusiasm from educators and learners is evidence that the Experience AI lessons have been highly impactful. Teachers have expressed a strong desire for more training opportunities to support them in equipping students for the future. Many of the teachers have also expressed how the training has demystified AI, enhancing accessibility and giving their daily teaching added relevance. In addition, there is a clear call to scale up these efforts to reach more teachers across the counties in Kenya to ensure that AI education is widespread and inclusive.

Experience AI is bringing a unique AI experience to teachers, helping ease fears that AI might render them obsolete or take away their jobs. Educators are excited to explore how AI algorithms work and how they can train them for the benefit of both themselves and their students. They recognise that AI can help create an equal playing field, offering tools worldwide that can showcase and accentuate their talents, capabilities, and skill sets.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Experience AI resources, visit the Experience AI website.

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We’ve supported Code Clubs, partnered with government organisations, and designed and delivered a complete computing curriculum for students in grades 6 to 12 and at the undergraduate level. Our curriculum is tailored to the Indian context, and we provide extensive support to help teachers deliver it effectively.

In another recent blog, we shared in detail how we’ve created an impactful curriculum for India. We’re now excited to share our new report evaluating how our curriculum is being taught in Telangana and Odisha. This report demonstrates the impact we’ve had so far, highlighting our successes and the key lessons we have learnt.

Key findings from the evaluation

Our evaluations of how the curriculum is being taught show that teachers are well-equipped to deliver the curriculum and provide high-quality and accessible learning experiences that develop students’ computing knowledge and skills.

In Telangana, we partnered with the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGSWREIS) to introduce our curriculum at the Coding Academy School and Coding Academy College. Our report found that all school and college teachers we trained agreed they felt confident teaching students using the resources provided. Students were very positive about the classes, and their assessment scores demonstrated strong learning outcomes: 77% of school students and 70% of college students achieved at least 60% of available marks.

In Odisha, we worked with Learning Links Foundation and Quest Alliance, in partnership with Panchasakha Sikhya Setu (PSS) Abhiyan, to deliver the IT and Coding Curriculum (Kaushali) to students in grades 9 and 10. Our findings were also very positive:

• 87% of teacher respondents agreed that the curriculum resources were high quality and useful for their teaching
• 91% felt more confident about teaching IT and coding due to the curriculum resources
• 93% of teachers agreed that the training helped them understand the curriculum’s structure, content, and objectives
• 89% felt confident in teaching the curriculum after the training
• Teachers also reported a positive impact on their students, with almost all agreeing that it improved students’ coding skills, digital literacy, and understanding of responsible digital citizenship

The report also highlights how students better understood how computing and coding are used in the world and developed an increased interest in pursuing careers in these fields.

Key factors for effective implementation

Our evaluations show the importance of several factors when launching a computing curriculum:

• Aligning content with students’ experience and interests: Content should be tailored to students’ existing knowledge, culturally relevant, and follow industry standards to prepare them for employment
• Providing extensive support to teachers: This includes careful selection and training of master teachers, comprehensive training for teachers that considers their knowledge and experience, and ongoing support through webinars, calls, and classroom observations
• Ensuring sufficient quantity and quality of infrastructure: Adequate equipment and internet access are crucial for effective teaching and learning

We are committed to always improving our approach to ensure that all young people in India have the opportunity to learn about computing.

Join us in shaping the future

You can read our new report here. If you are interested in partnering with us or want to learn more about our mission, please contact india@raspberrypi.org.

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The Experience AI resources

The Experience AI resources are designed to help educators introduce AI and AI safety to 11- to 14-year-olds. They consist of:

• Foundations of AI: a comprehensive unit of six lessons including lesson plans, slide decks, activities, videos, and more to support educators to introduce AI and machine learning to young people
• Two standalone lessons:
  • Large language models (LLMs): a lesson designed to help young people discover how large language models work, their benefits, and why their outputs are not always reliable
  • Ecosystems and AI — Biology: a lesson providing an opportunity for young people to explore how AI applications are supporting animal conservation
• AI safety: a set of resources with a flexible design to support educators in a range of settings to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to responsibly and safely navigate the challenges associated with AI

We also offer a free online course, Understanding AI for educators, to help educators prepare to teach about AI.

International expansion

The launch of Experience AI came at an important time: AI technologies are playing an ever-growing role in our everyday lives, so it is crucial for young people to gain the understanding and skills they need to critically engage with these technologies. While the resources were initially designed for use by educators in the UK, they immediately attracted interest from educators across the world, as well as individuals wanting to learn about AI. The resources have now been downloaded over 325,000 times by people from over 160 countries. This includes downloads from over 7000 educators worldwide, who will collectively reach an estimated 1.2 million young people.

Thanks to funding from Google DeepMind and Google.org, we have also been working with partners from across the globe to localise and translate the resources for learners and educators in their countries, and provide training to support local educators to deliver the lessons. The educational resources are now available in up to 15 languages, and to date, we have trained over 100 representatives from 20 international partner organisations, who will go on to train local educators. Five of these organisations have begun onward training already, collectively training over 1500 local educators so far.

The impact of Experience AI

The Experience AI resources have been well received by students and educators. Based on responses to our follow-up surveys, in countries where we have partners: 

• 95% of educators agreed that the Experience AI sessions have increased their students’ knowledge of AI concepts 
• 90% of young people (including young people in formal and non-formal education settings and learning independently) indicated that they better understand what AI and machine learning are

This is backed up by qualitative feedback from surveys and interviews.

“Students’ perception and understanding of AI has improved and corrected. They realised they can contribute and be a part of the [development], instead of only users.” – Noorlaila, educator, SMK Cyberjaya, Malaysia

“[Students] found it interesting in the sense that it’s relevant information and they didn’t know what information was used for training models.” – Teacher, Liceul Tehnologic “Crisan” Criscior, Romania

“Based on my knowledge and learning about AI, I now appreciate the definition of AI as well as its implementation.” – Student, Changamwe JSS, Kenya

The training and resources also support educators to feel more confident to teach about AI:

• 93% of international partner representatives who participated in our training agreed that the training increased their knowledge of AI concepts
• 88% of educators receiving onward training by our international partners agreed that the training increased their confidence to teach AI concepts
• 87% of educator respondents from our ‘Understanding AI for educators’ online course agreed that the course was useful for supporting young people

“It was a wonderful experience for me to join this workshop. Truly I was able to learn a lot about AI and I feel more confident now to teach the kids back at school about this new knowledge.” – Nur, educator, SMK Bandar Tasek Mutiara, trained by our partner Penang Science Cluster, Malaysia

“This was one of the best information sessions I’ve been to! So, so helpful!” – Meagan, educator, University of Alberta, trained by our partner Digital Moment, Canada

“The layout of the course in terms of content structuring is amazing. I love the discussion forum and the insightful yet empathetic responses by the course moderators on the discussion board. Honestly, I am really glad I started my AI in education journey with you.” – Priyanka, head teacher (primary level), United Arab Emirates, online course participant

What are we learning?

We are committed to continually improving our resources based on feedback from users. A recent review of feedback from educators highlighted key aspects of the resources that educators value most, as well as some challenges educators are facing and possible areas for improvement. For example, educators particularly like the interactive aspects, the clear structure and explanations, and the videos featuring professionals from the AI industry. We are continuing to look for ways we can better support educators to adapt the content and language to better support students in their context, fit Experience AI into their school timetables, and overcome technical barriers. 

We value feedback on our resources and will continue to highlight the importance of AI education in schools and work with partners across the globe to adapt our resources for different contexts.

Get involved

If you would like to try out our Experience AI resources, head to experience-ai.org, where you can find our free resources and online course, as well as information about local partners in your area.

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What you need to know about Coolest Projects

The Coolest Projects online showcase is open to young people worldwide. Young creators can enter their projects to share them with the world in our online project gallery and join our extra special livestream event to celebrate what they have made with the global Coolest Projects community.

By taking part in Coolest Projects, young people can join an international community of young makers, represent their country, receive feedback on their projects, and get certificates to recognise their achievements.

Coolest Projects is completely free to take part in, and we welcome all digital technology projects, from young people’s very first projects to advanced builds. The projects also don’t have to be completed before they can be submitted.

Projects can be submitted to one of seven categories: Scratch, games, web, mobile apps, hardware, advanced programming, and AI (new for 2025).

• Young creators up to age 18 can take part individually or in teams of up to five friends
• Any young person anywhere in the world can take part in the online showcase, and there are in-person events in some countries for local creators, too (find out more below)
• Submissions for the online showcase are now open and close on 28 May 2025
• All creators, mentors, volunteers, teachers, parents, and supporters are invited to the special celebration livestream on 25 June 2025

We know Coolest Projects has a big impact on young people all over the world, and we can’t wait to see your creations for 2025. You can find out more about the incredible creativity and collaboration from mentors and makers worldwide in our 2024 impact report.

How to submit your project

Taking part in Coolest Projects is simple:

• Young people think of an idea for their project or choose something they’ve already made and are proud of
• Young people work with friends to create their project or make it on their own 
• Creators (with the help of mentors if needed) enter projects via the Coolest Projects website by 28 May
• Creators’ projects are shared with the world in the online showcase gallery
• Creators, mentors, and supporters explore the amazing projects in the online gallery and join the livestream on 25 June to celebrate young creators’ achievements with the Coolest Projects community worldwide

Mentors — entering more than one project? Sign up for a group code, and your young people can link their projects to your account.

1. Sign up or log in. If you don’t have one already, you’ll need to set up a Raspberry Pi account. Click on the ‘sign up’ link in the top right-hand corner of the website to create one, and provide your details. You’ll be emailed a verification code as part of the sign-up process. If you already have an account, you can just log in.

2. Create a group. Once signed in, you’ll be able to create a group. You’ll be asked questions about your group, including the group name and the country you’re based in, and be asked to agree to some privacy policies before continuing. You will then be able to view your group code and group submissions on your group dashboard. 

3. Share your group code with your young people. Your group dashboard should look like this, with your group code displayed. The group code is what your young people will need to link their submissions to your account. They’ll be asked to input their group code at the start of the project submission form.

Submit your coolest projects. Every young person who uses your group code will have their project linked to your account. You can review and edit their projects in your group dashboard and submit them from there. There is no limit to the number of young people who can submit entries using your group code.

For a more detailed run-through of how to use group codes, please see our ‘how-to’ video.

Coolest Projects in-person events in 2025

As well as the global online showcase, Coolest Projects in-person events are held for young people locally in certain countries. We encourage creators to take part in both the online showcase and their local in-person event. In 2025, creators can attend the following in-person events, run by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and partner organisations around the world:

• Coolest Projects Ireland, 1 March 2025 (run by the Foundation) — entry closes on Friday 14 February 
• Coolest Projects Belgium, 26 April 2025 (run by CoderDojo Belgium)
• Coolest Projects USA, 5 April 2025 (run by the Foundation) — entry closes on Friday 14 March 2025
• Coolest Projects UK, 17 May 2025 (run by the Foundation) — entry closes on Friday 2 May 2025 
• Coolest Projects India, 2025 date coming soon (run by the Foundation)
• Coolest Projects Ghana, 2025 date coming soon (run by Ghana Code Club)
• Coolest Projects Malaysia, 2025 date coming soon (run by Penang Science Cluster)
• Coolest Projects South Africa, 2025 date coming soon (run by CoderLevelUp)

More events are on the way, so sign up for the Coolest Projects newsletter to be sure you hear about any in-person events in your country. And if there isn’t an event near you, don’t worry, as the online showcase is open to any young person anywhere in the world.

Need help with your submission? 

Coolest Projects welcomes all digital tech projects, from beginner to advanced, and there are loads of great resources available to help you help the young people in your community to take part. If you’re searching for inspiration, take a look at the 2024 showcase gallery, where you can explore the incredible projects submitted by participants last year.

You’ll find everything you need to know about all seven Coolest Projects categories on our category pages, including our brand new AI category. Our projects site is also a great place for participants to begin — there are hundreds of free step-by-step project guides to help young people create their own projects, whether they’re experienced tech creators or just getting started.

We will also be running a series of online webinars for mentors and young people to help participants develop their creations for each Coolest Projects category. Sign up for the sessions here. All sessions will be recorded, so you can watch them back if you can’t join live.

Be sure to check out the Coolest Projects guidance page for resources to help you support young people throughout their Coolest Projects journey, including a mentor guide and session plans. 

There’s lots more exciting news to come, from the announcement of our VIP judges to details about this year’s swag, so sign up for updates to be the first to know. 

Whether your coders have already made something that they want to share, or they’re inspired to make something new, Coolest Projects is the place for them. We can’t wait to see what they create!

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What is the Astro Pi Challenge?

The European Astro Pi Challenge is an ESA Education project run in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It offers young people the amazing opportunity to learn how to code and conduct scientific investigations in space, by writing computer programs that run on Raspberry Pi computers on board the International Space Station (ISS). The annual Astro Pi Challenge is open to young people up to age 19 in ESA member and associate countries.

Each year, there are two missions: Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab.

Five reasons to take part in the Astro Pi Challenge

Based on the findings in this report, we wanted to highlight five great reasons to take part in the Astro Pi Challenge, and direct you to some resources to help you get started — there is still plenty of time to enter the 2024/25 challenge!

1. Young people get to run their code in space

Mentors told us how excited young people were to be working on something that connected with the real world, and how proud they were that their code ran on the International Space Station.

“Participating in Mission Space Labs offers students a great opportunity to work with the International Space Station, to see the Earth from above, to challenge them to overcome the terrestrial limits.” – Mission Space Lab mentor

2. Young people are inspired to continue to learn

91% of mentors told us that young people who successfully wrote code for Mission Space Lab were likely or very likely to participate in computing and digital making challenges in the future.

Mission Zero mentors shared that young people who saw others take part in the mission were inspired to get involved.

3. Young people learn new skills

Mission Space Lab mentors told us that young people who successfully wrote code for Mission Space Lab had a greater understanding of STEM concepts, and increased their skills and confidence in computing and digital making.

Mentors also said that Mission Zero provides a great first step into using Python.

“I think it was very good at setting up the first bit of Python and just having a very limited command set and a very quick result…” – Mission Zero mentor

4. Astro Pi mentors have fun

It’s not just the young people that enjoy Astro Pi — 95% of Mission Space Lab mentors and 99% of Mission Zero mentors said they somewhat or very much enjoyed taking part.

5. We provide the resources and support Astro Pi mentors need

Mentors gave us positive feedback on the guidance we provided to help them support young people. This year, we have produced even more resources and ways to support mentors to lead missions.

“The Mission [Space] Lab guide was fantastic for my students; step by step” – Mission Space Lab mentor

How to get involved

Astro Pi opened for registration on 16 September this year, and there is still plenty of time for you to sign up and run the missions with your young people. You can find all the information you need to take part on astro-pi.org, including the mentor guides, which help you prepare to run the activities.

Mission Zero mentor guide
Mission Space Lab mentor guide

We also provide project guides for Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab that walk young people through the steps they need to follow to get a working program ready for submission.

If you would like some help getting started, you can:

• Watch a recording of our ‘Getting started with Mission Space Lab’ livestream
• Sign up for our next Mission Zero codealong in January 2025
• Get in touch at contact@astro-pi.org

Key dates

17:30 – 18:30 CET, 16 January – Mission Space Lab livestream and technical Q&A
17:30 – 18:30 CET, 28 January – Mission Zero codealong
09:00 CET, 24 February – Mission Space Lab closes
09:00 CET, 24 March – Mission Zero closes

The post Five reasons to join the Astro Pi Challenge, backed by our impact report appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Today, we are publishing an impact report that includes some of this feedback, along with what users are saying about the impact Ada Computer Science is having.

Evaluating Ada Computer Science

Ada Computer Science is a free learning platform for computer science students and teachers. It provides high-quality, online learning materials to use in the classroom, for homework, and for revision. Our experienced team has created resources that cover every topic in the leading GCSE and A level computer science specifications.

From May to July 2024, we invited users to provide feedback via an online survey, and we got responses from 163 students and 27 teachers. To explore the feedback further, we also conducted in-depth interviews with three computer science teachers in September 2024.

How is Ada being used?

The most common ways students use Ada Computer Science — as reported by more than two thirds of respondents — is for revision and/or to complete work set by their teacher. Similarly, teachers most commonly said that they direct students to use Ada outside the classroom.

“I recommend my students use Ada Computer Science as their main textbook.” — Teacher

What is users’ experience of using Ada?

Most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Ada is useful for learning (82%) and high quality (79%).

“Ada Computer Science has been very effective for independent revision, I like how it provides hints and pointers if you answer a question incorrectly.” — Student

Ada users were generally positive about their overall experience of the platform and using it to find the information they were looking for.

“Ada is one of the best for hitting the nail on the head. They’ve really got it in tune with the depth that exam boards want.” — Ian Robinson, computer science teacher (St Alban’s Catholic High School, UK)

What impact is Ada having?

Around half of the teachers agreed that Ada had reduced their workload and/or increased their subject knowledge. Across all respondents, teachers estimated that the average weekly time saving was 1 hour 8 minutes.

Additionally, 81% of students agreed that as a result of using Ada, they had become better at understanding computer science concepts. Other benefits were reported too, with most students agreeing that they had become better problem-solvers, for example.

“I love Ada! It is an extremely helpful resource… The content featured is very comprehensive and detailed, and the visual guides… are particularly helpful to aid my understanding.” — Student

Future developments

Since receiving this feedback, we have already released updated site navigation and new question finder designs. In 2025, we are planning improvements to the markbook (for example, giving teachers an overview of the assignments they’ve set) and to how assignments can be created.

If you’d like to read more about the findings, there’s a full report for you to download. Thank you to everyone who took the time to take part — we really value your feedback!

The post Ada Computer Science: What have we learnt so far appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Aim of the partnership 

The aim of our partnership is to enable students in the school and undergraduate college to learn about coding and computing by providing the best possible curriculum, resources, and training for teachers. 

As both institutions are government institutions, education is provided for free, with approximately 800 high-performing students from disadvantaged backgrounds currently benefiting. The school is co-educational up to grade 10 and the college is for female undergraduate students only. 

The partnership is strategically important for us at the Raspberry Pi Foundation because it helps us to test curriculum content in an Indian context, and specifically with learners from historically marginalised communities with limited resources.

Adapting our curriculum content for use in Telangana

Since our partnership began, we’ve developed curriculum content for students in grades 6–12 in the school, which is in line with India’s national education policy requiring coding to be introduced from grade 6. We’ve also developed curriculum content for the undergraduate students at the college. 

In both cases, the content was developed based on an initial needs assessment — we used the assessment to adapt content from our previous work on The Computing Curriculum. Local examples were integrated to make the content relatable and culturally relevant for students in Telangana. Additionally, we tailored the content for different lesson durations and to allow a higher frequency of lessons. We captured impact and learning data through assessments, lesson observations, educator interviews, student surveys, and student focus groups.

Curriculum well received by educators and students

We have found that the partnership is succeeding in meeting many of its objectives. The curriculum resources have received lots of positive feedback from students, educators, and observers.

In our recent survey, 96% of school students and 85% of college students reported that they’ve learned new things in their computing classes. This was backed up by assessment marks, with students scoring an average of 70% in the school and 69% in the college for each assessment, compared to a pass mark of 40%. Students were also positive about their experiences of the computing and coding classes, and particularly enjoyed the practical components.

“My favourite thing in this computing classes [sic] is doing practical projects. By doing [things] practically we learnt a lot.” – Third year undergraduate student, Coding Academy College

“Since their last SA [summative assessment] exam, students have learnt spreadsheet [concepts] and have enjoyed applying them in activities. Their favourite part has been example codes, programming, and web-designing activities.” – Student focus group facilitator, grade 9 students, Coding Academy School

However, we also found some variation in outcomes for different groups of students and identified some improvements that are needed to ensure the content is appropriate for all. For example, educators and students felt improvements were needed to the content for undergraduates specialising in data science — there was a wish for the content to be more challenging and to more effectively prepare students for the workplace. Some amendments have been made to this content and we will continue to keep this under review. 

In addition, we faced some challenges with the equipment and infrastructure available. For example, there were instances of power cuts and unstable internet connections. These issues have been addressed as far as possible with Wi-Fi dongles and educators adapting their delivery to work with the equipment available.

Our ambition for India

Our team has already made some improvements to our curriculum content in preparation for the new academic year. We will also make further improvements based on the feedback received. 

The long-term vision for our work in India is to enable any school in India to teach students about computing and creating with digital technologies. Over our five-year partnership, we plan to work with TGSWREIS to roll out a computing curriculum to other government schools within the state. 

Through our work in Telangana and Odisha, we are learning about the unique challenges faced by government schools. We’re designing our curriculum to address these challenges and ensure that every student in India has the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century. If you would like to know more about our work and impact in India, please reach out to us at india@raspberrypi.org.

We take the evaluation of our work seriously and are always looking to understand how we can improve and increase the impact we have on the lives of young people. To find out more about our approach to impact, you can read about our recently updated theory of change, which supports how we evaluate what we do.

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Code Club is a network of free coding clubs where young people learn how to create with technology. The Raspberry Pi Foundation supports Code Clubs through training and guidance for mentors, and by providing learning resources that lead to meaningful and lasting learning outcomes for the young people attending the clubs.

Founded in the UK in 2012, Code Club has grown into a global movement and has already inspired more than 2 million young people to learn how to build their own apps, games, animations, websites, and so much more. We are incredibly proud of the impact Code Club has already achieved and we want many more young people to benefit. Our ambitious goal for the next decade is to reach 10 million more young people through Code Club.

New impact insights about Code Club

We’re ambitious about Code Club because we know it works. Over the last year, the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education (DECE) conducted an independent evaluation of the programme that confirmed earlier evidence: attending Code Club leads to positive outcomes for young people.

The DECE evaluation showed that young people who attend Code Club build their coding skills. They also become more confident in learning coding, grow their interest in it, and develop a sense of belonging. Researchers observed how each young person has their individual projects to work on, which promote a sense of ownership and personalised learning, but that there are also opportunities for collaboration and celebrating their achievements with other creators in the club.

Young people also develop positive attitudes to coding and a range of life skills such as problem solving and communication. These skills and mindsets prepare young people to confidently engage with emerging technologies and with learning in a broader context.

“Coding is really fun when I know what to do, but sometimes it is hard. But I always keep trying.”

– Code Club creator.

Another finding was that Code Clubs are a place where young people who experience difficulties in formal classroom settings can thrive. This suggests Code Clubs can help educators engage a more diverse group of young people in creating with technology than formal education alone could.

“We see pupils in completely different roles when they are doing these Code Club activities. They enjoy more, and you can see they have skills to do things that we otherwise don’t notice.”

– Code Club mentor.

None of the benefits for young people would be possible without the volunteers who give their time and make Code Clubs the positive learning environments they are. Their support is crucial to young people’s engagement and skill development. The evaluation showed that mentors find the experience of volunteering rewarding, and pointed us towards areas where we can offer further support to help them run engaging, impactful Code Clubs.

“…volunteering with Code Club has helped me feel I’m a useful member of society in my old age, so the benefits have been good for me too.”

– Code Club mentor.

How we’re building on our support for clubs

With AI already transforming so many parts of our lives, learning how to create with technology has never been more important. Generative AI is changing how humans give instructions to computers, and at Code Club, young people can experiment with new technologies such as AI in a safe environment. New projects that support young people to learn about AI technologies will be added to the Code Club Projects site later this month, alongside support for club leaders and mentors on this topic.

The evaluation methods used by the DECE will help us hone our ongoing impact measurement work for Code Clubs running in communities all over the world. As we continue to support Code Clubs, we are taking into account that the independent evaluation ran in school-based Code Clubs in the UK only. In our work to grow the Code Club network across the globe, we are adapting our support and resources for local contexts in collaboration with partners who share their expertise.

This will ensure that Code Clubs can provide a fun, welcoming space for all young people. And while they’re having fun, they will also gain relevant learning experiences that empower them to engage confidently with a world that is being transformed by digital technologies.

If you’re interested in the DECE evaluation’s results, we’ve put together a summary for you to download.

To get involved in Code Club, visit codeclub.org.

The post How fun-filled Code Clubs drive learning: New evidence appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Coolest Projects in 2024

This year, 7197 young people across 4678 projects took part in our global Coolest Projects online showcase, with participants from 43 countries. All of these projects were shared in our online showcase gallery, and we hosted a live-streamed event celebrating the judges’ favourites watched by over 1000 people.

At the 2024 in-person Coolest Projects events in Ireland and the UK, 171 young people shared projects. At these events, the young creators presented their projects to other attendees and our team of judges. They also took part in other activities, including a digital escape room.

We wanted to understand how Coolest Projects impacts young people, and so we collected the following data:

• For the online showcase, mentors and tech creators filled in a survey when they completed their project registration, and we ran focus groups with mentors, who are adults that support the tech creators
• At the UK and Ireland in-person events, creators completed a survey, other event attendees completed feedback cards, and we also interviewed creators. 

Online showcase: Impact on skills and confidence

In the survey, mentors and young people told us that taking part in the Coolest Projects online showcase had a positive impact:

• 91% of young people and 87% of mentors agreed or strongly agreed that taking part in Coolest Projects online inspired them or their team to continue to participate in computing and technology
• 89% of young people and 86% of mentors agreed or strongly agreed that taking part in Coolest Projects online increased their or their team’s confidence in coding and digital making

Mentors told us that the community built by the online showcase gallery played an important role in making young people want to participate,  and improving their confidence. One mentor said that “[being part of the online showcase] motivates them actually to do something innovative and… [the] global community motivates them to think out of the box.”

They also reported that the online community inspired young people to solve real-world problems. One mentor said, “the wonderful thing is the kids create so many things which are solutions to world problems.” Others told us that young people feel a great deal of pride that their solutions are available for others to see online and that they get ideas from other projects on how to solve problems. One mentor from India told us about a young person who created a boat to clean rivers and then was inspired to learn to program micro:bit devices, having seen similar projects in the gallery.

Focus on ‘growth, not competition’

The phrase ‘growth, not competition’ came from the mentors in the focus group, and we love this description.

“[With] Coolest Projects… the only agenda is to grow. Grow with the coding, nurture your skills, creativity.” – Focus group attendee.

In the focus group, mentors told us they really valued the way the Coolest Projects online showcase allows all young people to participate, including those who were less experienced tech creators. One mentor told us that because everyone’s project is displayed in the gallery the “beauty is that everybody is encouraged individually… regarding the experience. … They can start with very small things. And they have [the] opportunity to upload it on the platform.”

One mentor who supports young people in remote locations in India spoke about the way Coolest Projects offers a level playing field where his students can be included and participate to the same extent as less remote places: “students never feel left behind.”

The in-person events also reflected the diversity of young people’s experience of digital making. Of those creators who answered surveys, 35% said it was their first time making this kind of project, while 37% said they had made similar projects before. This mix of experience was also reflected in the interviews, with some young people creating something for the first time and having only started learning coding recently, while others had been developing their projects for a long time. Many creators told us they felt inspired by the opportunity to show their projects to others, regardless of their experience level.

In-person events: Building a community of digital creators

Attendees at both Coolest Projects UK and Ireland commented on the sense of community and the excitement that was generated by being around other young people. One young person spoke about how much they enjoyed being “surrounded by people who like coding too”. They really valued seeing other creators’ projects and speaking with their peers.

The young people we spoke to reflected on the positive impact of this sense of community and belonging. They told us that seeing others’ projects inspired them to develop their ideas and learn new skills. One young person described how the in-person event allowed them to “get inspired and socialise.” A second said, “that’s why I’m here — to get inspired.”

Another clear theme was how much young people valued the opportunity to show their projects to others. This gave them confidence in their own ability to build things. One creator at Coolest Projects UK spoke about the sense of achievement they felt after building something themselves and then being able to present it to others.

Young people at both events spoke about their plans for what they wanted to do next, talking about trying new technology such as building games, learning Python, and creating mobile apps. At both events, creators described how they wanted to continue to develop and build on their existing ideas with the possibility of showcasing them again.

What we want to learn next

We are continuing to look for ways to improve the Coolest Projects experience for young people and their mentors. As part of this, we are conducting user experience research to understand how we can improve the registration process for the online Coolest Projects showcase.

We were delighted to hear from mentors in this year’s focus group how much they valued the online showcase gallery, and we want to understand the impact of this resource better as part of Coolest Projects 2025. If you want to find out more about Coolest Projects, we highly recommend taking a look at the amazing projects made by young people around the world. 

Dates for Coolest Projects 2025

We’re so pleased that so many young people around the world loved taking part in Coolest Projects this year. And we’re very excited that Coolest Projects will be back and bigger than ever before in 2025! 

The Coolest Projects online showcase is open to any young person up to age 18, based anywhere in the world. Registration opens 14 January, and we’ll host a celebratory livestream on 25 June.

Coolest Projects in-person events will also be popping up around the world. In-person events are open to everyone up to age 18 in the host country. Family and friends are very welcome to come along too. 

Save the date for:

• Coolest Projects Ireland, 1 March 2025
• Coolest Projects USA, 5 April 2025
• Coolest Projects Belgium, 26 April 2025
• Coolest Projects UK, 17 May 2025
• Coolest Projects Ghana, date TBC
• Coolest Projects India, date TBC
• Coolest Projects Malaysia, date TBC
• Coolest Projects South Africa, date TBC

Keep an eye on the Coolest Projects website for more event dates and details coming soon.

It’s never too early to start making and saving digital projects to showcase next year. We can’t wait to see what the world’s young tech creators will make!

The post Celebrating Coolest Projects 2024, plus dates for 2025 appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.