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21st November 2019

Code Club Luxembourg and Spuerkeess united to teach coding to children!

"Helping the future generation to better understand the digital world", such is the motto of Code Club Luxembourg. With this in mind, we met with Claude Bemtgen, Marcio Morais De Sá and Marco D’Amico, employees with Spuerkeess and members of the not-for-profit organisation, to talk about the Code Club.

What does the term "Code Club" mean exactly?

Marcio: For starters, it is important to note that, although children learn coding, the Code Club is not a school but an after-school club and it is mostly run by volunteers.

Marco: The basic idea is to enable children to progress from a role of spectator or user to a role of actor. The aim is not simply to show them how to use software, but also to help them understand the logic that is needed for the design and development of software. This “problem-solution” approach that is used systematically through their analysis of problems encountered in everyday situations of life and the implementation of appropriate solutions give them an essential skill for their daily lives.

It doesn't matter which path children take to achieve an immediate result, the important thing is that they are creative in the construction of their approach to a solution while further developing their knowledge of the technologies of the future in the process.

Claude: Thanks to the visual programming language "Scratch", children can learn coding in a fun way, without having to use a complex programming language like the ones that IT developers use in their companies. This programming language encourages beginners to think creatively and reason systematically.

Sometimes children find solutions that an adult would never have thought of.
Marco D'Amico
Photo of a Spuerkeess employee, Code Club volunteer
Club Code Course
Laptop on which a child learns coding
Computer equipment made available to participants

Code Club Values

- Developing digital skills

- Preparing new generations for the (digital) world

- Free access to the Code Club for children

Why organise a Code Club with Spuerkeess?

Marcio: Our aim is to expand the Code Club network so that more children may benefit from it at no cost. The challenge lies in finding volunteer mentors, as well as partners who can provide the necessary IT equipment and space.

Marco: This is the first time that a company has offered us all three elements, which are essential for organising a Code Club: equipment, space and the manpower.

Illustration of 3 employees of Spuerkeess, members of the a.s.b.l Code Club
Marco D'Amico, Marcio Morais De Sá and Claude Bemtgen
As Spuerkeess employees, we are proud to say that our employer shares our values.
Marcio Morais De Sá

Claude: Spuerkeess currently offers courses in Luxemburgish and English, but they can also be held in other languages if there is enough demand.

How does the Code Club work?

Marco: Code Club Luxembourg is a not-for-profit organisation created in 2013, similar to the Code Clubs established in England in 2012. In Luxembourg, the Code Club has a committee made up of seven volunteer board members and more or less 200 more volunteers that are committed to the daily challenge. I would like to take the opportunity to thank them, because without them there would be no club. Furthermore, there is also one full-time employee, hired in 2018, who supports us in the implementation of our strategy and in the achievement of our objectives.

As Marcio said earlier, our main goal is to expand our club network by encouraging and supporting others to open new clubs across the country.

Claude: It is important to empathise that through a "learning by doing" approach, children can develop IT solutions that are not only suitable for computer and screen use. As an example, the children can operate a robot, printed circuit boards or model printable 3D  objects.

Code Club logo

Marco: Next to the weekly clubs we also offer other types of events, such as the "Coding Goûter" ("Coding Snack Time"). The concept is easy enough: children bring a cake and go home with a taste for coding. Here, they can participate in a number of workshops and have fun with their chaperone(s) and the other children.

Marcio: In conclusion, we are all volunteers that are passionate about coding, willing to share our knowledge with the next generation.

Do you feel inspired to create a Code Club in Luxembourg?

If you too are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor or in opening a Code Club, then contact info@codeclub.lu

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