Volunteer - Code Club Aotearoa

What's involved

Code Club provides everything you need to get started. No club is the same but generally run as outlined below:

Volunteers commit for a minimum of 10 weeks or one school term
Give 1 hour a week, usually after school or at the weekend
Support up to 15 young people working through Code Club projects
You can volunteer solo or team up with colleagues and friends to take turns or support the club together
A club host will always be at the venue to help

By giving back to their community through Code Club, volunteers, up-skill, gain work and leadership experience and make friends. If you're wanting to register multiple volunteers or as an organisation please see our Code Club for Corporates page.

What we teach

Most clubs have students work through the Code Club Projects. These range from Scratch: Module 1, to website design using HTML/CSS and text based languages like Python. Many of our clubs work with Micro:bits, 3D printers and Raspberry Pi's. Some of our clubs have sessions dedicated entirely to robotics, minecraft and unity and some are a mix of everything!

If you're unfamiliar with any of these technologies we recommend trying one of the projects yourself!

Kusal's volunteer story

How to get started as a Code Club volunteer

Step 1: Register as a volunteer on our website

Create an account with us using your email address. After completing the form a Code Club staff member will be in touch to answer any questions you have about volunteering and talk you through the process.

Step 2: Complete the police vetting form

Unless you are a registered teacher, all volunteers need to be police vetted. We suggest you get started right away on completing a police vetting consent form, as it takes 2-4 weeks to process. This process is required for anyone in Aotearoa volunteering to work with students.

The consent form can be found at bit.ly/ccnz-police. Send the completed form and two forms of identity (one must have a photograph) to [email protected]. If you are confused about types of identification please refer to this guide.

Step 3: Find a club near you

While you wait on you background check to be cleared, head to our Find a Club page and use the dropdown and our interactive map to find a club near you. When you find a suitable club, hit the ‘Join as a volunteer’ button to enrol and contact the leader.

Step 4: Take a look at our projects

Prepare for your first session by going through some of our projects. Most Code Club students work through the open source step-by-step guides each week and if you have other material you want to use check with the leader, it’s usually fine!

Step 4: Meet your club leader

Arrange a quick meeting with the club leader to organise the sessions (day, time, capacity, curriculum etc) and to go through any rules and regulations specific to the venue.

Step 6: Safeguarding

Across all activities that Code Club Aotearoa supports, we have a firm commitment to safeguarding. We believe we all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of children and young people and to keep them safe. The Raspberry Pi foundation have plenty of safeguarding resources relevant to both in person and online Code Club sessions, including a free 30 minute safeguarding e-learning module for volunteers and leaders.

Step 7: Have fun!

Code Club is about having fun while learning! It is a place to collaborate and create with likeminded peers as well as those you wouldn’t otherwise interact with on a daily basis. To keep up to date with all things code club join our Facebook community group, follow our page and see what’s happening on twitter.

Register as a Volunteer

FAQ

What are my responsibilities as volunteer?

As a Code Club volunteer we ask that you are able to commit at least one school term (10 weeks) before registering. While in the classroom, you will work with your volunteer team to prep lessons from the Code Club Curriculum and deliver it to the students once per week in hour long sessions.

Do I have to know how to code to volunteer?

In order to be a Code Club volunteer you do not need to be a coding genius! You do however need basic technical skills to be confident on a computer. If you feel unsure about your technical skills try out a Scratch project from the Code Club Curriculum and see how you do.

Who are Code Club students?

Code Club students are usually 9-13 years old. Very often students are younger than 9 and enter their first club with no prior coding experience so they will need to get started with the basics. However, Code Club students are from all varying levels of technical ability, ethnicity, gender and are all excited to learn to code!

Do I need to be police vetted?

Yes. Once you register your interest to volunteer you will be required to comply to NZ police vetting requirements. No volunteer may contact a club or come in contact with Code Club students before completing the necessary paperwork and receiving approval. This process comes at no cost to the volunteer.

Do I need to be vaccinated?

No. As of 11:59pm April 4 2022, those working and volunteering in education no longer require vaccination for in person classes and sessions.

When/where do Code Clubs meet?

Code Clubs are often hosted at either a school or a public venue like a library. The club leader decides on the day of the week and time of day that the club meets. Many clubs meet after school, others meet during lunch while some clubs meet on Saturdays.

Is volunteering for Code Club fun and rewarding?

YES! Working with children to help them create new things is very rewarding. It's also a great way to up-skill staff, build team relationships and meet social responsibility goals by giving back to the community.

How do I get started?

Register your volunteer interest by clicking the green button above. After completing the form a Code Club staff member will reach out to you within a few days to help you through the process. As soon as your background check is complete you can start volunteering! Locate a Code Club near you and contact the club leader directly to request to volunteer at their site. You may also choose to start you own club if you would like by signing up as a club host.

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? Check out our FAQ.

FAQ

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