Scratch Conference 2022: Connecting a Community of Educators from around the World

By Melodie D

Over 1,800 educators around the world teaching and learning with Scratch joined us live on July 21 for the 2022 Scratch Conference: What Will You Create?

Educators just getting started with teaching with Scratch and those who have been teaching with Scratch for many years had the opportunity to connect during our social breakout sessions and engage in a wide variety of online workshops offered during the Conference. Just like we encourage Scratchers to collaborate and learn from one another, participants in each session were encouraged to reflect, share, and build upon the reflections of both presenters and peers in their sessions.

Over 100 creative learning professionals from more than 20 organizations around the world shared their insights and perspectives about creative coding and facilitated thoughtful conversations on empowering young Scratchers in their creative learning journey. In modeling what creative coding looks like in the context of their respective communities — it gave attendees the opportunity to reimagine Scratch and ScratchJr through diverse lenses. Participants were challenged to use Scratch and ScratchJr as tools to help young people address a wide range of issues, including: accessibility, advocacy, socio-emotional expression, gender, discrimination, and more.

We’re excited to share key takeaways from the Conference and resources you can continue to use to help you in your teaching and learning journey with Scratch!

Creating diverse and accessible pathways to creative coding

Panelists from different organizations and school districts around the world guided participants through nuanced discussions on the opportunities and challenges of creating inclusive learning experiences. Organizations like Quest Alliance, a not-for-profit located in India, have dedicated themselves to the work of creating “engaging classrooms’’ of “empowered learners” by building “self-learning experiences [that keep] the user at the centre.” Similarly, participants in a number of sessions were encouraged to think about centering young learners in creative coding practices and reflect on the myriad ways to celebrate and build upon the existing strengths, cultural identities, and backgrounds of young learners in order to create a diverse and equitable community of creative coders. Check out the following sessions on YouTube to learn more:

1. Computing for a Purpose: My Community
2. Create- Along with Deaf Kids Code!
3. Creative Coding with a Cause
4. Disrupting Inequalities Across the Curriculum with Scratch
5. STEM Mindset and it Myriad Challenges: An Indian Perspective
6. Waves of Kindness: Building a Caring Community of Creative Learners

Sending off participants in the “Getting Started with Scratch, Together” workshop led by twelve creative learning professionals from around the world.

ScratchJr: nurturing young learner’s creative coding journeys

Global organizations like The Fundación Varkey, based in the United Kingdom but with offices in Argentina and a global reach extending to numerous world regions, recognizes that quality education for children requires that we “build the status of teachers to ensure that the quality of teaching is enhanced, and outcomes will improve.” In sessions led by Fundación Varkey team members and other sessions led by creative learning professionals, presenters shared a plentitude of resources and information about global learning communities to support the work of educators facilitating the development of young minds and empathetic learners around the world. Check out the following sessions on YouTube to learn more:

1. Co-Creating Pathways from ScratchJr to Scratch
2. Discover, Connect & Create: ScratchJr in Latin America
3. Facilitating Family Creative Learning
4. Making Faces: Communicating Feelings with Code

Participants were encouraged to “make faces” during “Making Faces: Communicating Feelings with Code” using objects they found in their surroundings. Thank you to the six creative learning professionals who helped to facilitate and guide this session.

Scratch extensions: multimodal and multimedia creative coding experiences

Not all paths to creative coding are digital. In a number of sessions led by Scratch Team members and partner organizations, participants explored up-and-coming Scratch extensions and engaged with Scratch offline. The silly and inventive number of projects created during these sessions are exemplary of Scratch’s mission to create opportunities for playful collaboration. Partners like Makey Makey exemplify this same spirit of believing in everyone’s “creative, inventive, and imaginative” potential. Check out the following sessions on YouTube to learn more:

1. Exploring Wide Walls and High Ceilings with Scratch + micro:bit
2. From Face Sensing to Physics: A Scratch Extension Mashup!
3. Hacking Apps with Makey Makey & Scratch

Our participants had a lot of fun in the “From Face Sensing to Physics: A Scratch Extension Mashup!” session facilitated by Scratch Design and Engineering team members.

Stay connected!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to connect annually during the Scratch Conference with educators and professionals who are tirelessly working to support young Scratchers around the world. We are inspired by the endless hours you have dedicated to develop creative, playful, and collaborative experiences for young learners and the constant commitment you have made to making learning creative coding accessible, diverse, and centered on the passions of young learners worldwide.

The Scratch Conference isn’t the only time you can stay connected with the Scratch Community and see what the global family of Scratch educators is up to. Stay up-to-date with our latest creative coding resources and connect with Scratch educators from around the world:

1. Scratch Newsletters: you’ll receive the latest resources to help you teach with Scratch and learn about exciting events in the online Community to help inspire your young learners. Sign up here.
2. Scratch on Social Media: follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for updates and share how you’re using Scratch with us.
3. ScratchJr on Social Media: follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates and share how you’re using ScratchJr with us.
4. YouTube: Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive updates on free tutorials and resources for teaching with Scratch here.
5. Teaching with Scratch: this Facebook group will connect you with educators around the world who are teaching with Scratch. Join the group to exchange resources and ideas for teaching with Scratch here.

A special Thank You to EPAM for sponsoring this event so we could provide it free of charge for all participants. If you’d like to support creative and accessible learning opportunities for educators in your community and around the world, donate here.

Scratch On!

Organization information courtesy of:

Quest Alliance: https://www.questalliance.net/about-us

Varkey Foundation: https://www.varkeyfoundation.org/who-we-are/about-the-varkey-foundation

Makey Makey: https://makeymakey.com/pages/about-us