Introducing Tech For Life
Tech for Life has been quietly growing over the last couple of years at Campus North so we thought it was about time we gave you a proper intro to the world of Tech for Life…
Like all things Campus North related, developing the Tech for Life initiative has been a rather organic process. It all started back in 2013 when we piloted the Code Club Regional Coordinator role. Since Campus North is recognised as one of the best co-working and event spaces for tech meetups, we were in the perfect position to engage with the local tech community in the North East, and help grow industry-led Code Clubs in the North East. Code Clubs in the region grew from 3 to 69 in just 12 months, and have since grown to around 166 clubs in the North East. We then ran our own maker parties, and it quickly became apparent that it was not only the kids who were having all the fun, but lots of adults were intrigued and interested in learning how to code too! So, coupled with running our own maker parties and adult coding classes along side the work we were doing with Code Club, we realised that there was a real need and desire for tech education in the region.
After 2 years of working with Code Club, our contract came to an end in October 2015, but we wanted to continue working with children and adults alike. We continued to put on maker parties to introduce children to the world of tech, namely our Halloween themed party, Code Monsters, and an Easter special Code Bunnies. We also took part in the Late Shows for the first time with a digital and creative mini maker party, and have run two Understanding Code programmes; a free 6-week evening coding course for adults who are interested in understanding the basics of coding.
We have partnered with the local universities to run student mixer events, where students have gained invaluable access to startup stories, as well as introductions to digital and tech companies, from startups to larger corporate players! We have accommodated some of the TICE programme digital days and introduced school students to the Campus North community, showing them the endless career possibilities that are available in the digital sector, from programming to copywriting and everything in-between.
And so, Tech for Life was born! It is Campus North’s Education initiative, introducing people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to the fundamentals of tech. Three main areas, Coding, Creativity and Careers, underpin everything we do and there is often cross-over between the three. Our aim is to encourage future entrepreneurs, developers, designers and engineers, and to help make tech accessible to all!
We’ve just completed our summer Code Camp, a 5-day camp for 14–18 year olds, but here’s a little taster of what we’ve got planned over the next few weeks…
EdTech Digital Showcase As part of Campus North’s regular Digital Showcase and Drinks we are hosting an EdTech special for the August event, sponsored by Baltic Training Services on Thursday 25th August. Showcasing this month will be Pebble, Mesma, Weekend Box, Lumici, and One Third Stories. W
CoderDojo Raspberry Pi Family Day If you’ve got a Raspberry Pi but aren’t entirely sure how to work it, bring it along to August’s CoderDojo at Campus North on Saturday 27th August, where Phil Jeffes will be on hand to take you through the basics.
Tech for Teachers CPD Starting in September we will be offering unique industry-led computer science, coding and electronics CPD sessions specifically developed by programmers to help teachers understand the fundamentals of computing.
F-Disruptors is a four-month long programme with one aim — to create a global tech talent pipeline of highly skilled girls and young women in order to create a diverse and powerful workforce. They will be bringing their vision to Campus North on Wed 9th November.
