VOLUNTEERING
in a school for a Coding Adventure!
Thank you so much for considering volunteering at one of our Coding Adventures. It's a fantastic way to get involved, have fun and feel great because you're helping to inspire the tech innovators of the future! Here's everything you need to know.
What you'll be doing
As a volunteer at one of our Coding Adventures for children aged 5 - 9, you'll help our day go smoothly, and you'll really make a difference to the children's experience. You'll be helping with the activities, encouraging the children to explore, discover and get excited about coding, and stepping in if children need extra help. You'll also be providing some much-needed support for the teachers, whilst learning and having fun yourself! Here's a summary of what you'll be doing:
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Having fun! Watching our show and 'Program Each Other' explainer videos with 5-9 year-olds
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Helping the children - with some fun 'unplugged' (non-tech) activities
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Encouraging the children - to play and explore, and use all the coding terms from our show, whilst helping them with their teamwork skills
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Learning new skills - if you're interested you can learn to program in Scratch and help the older children (if this activity is chosen by the school)
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Feeling great! Because you're helping to inspire the tech innovators of the future!
What you won't be doing!
Don't worry - you won't need to stand up in front of the class and teach, and you won't be responsible for children on your own! You also don't need any prior knowledge of coding or computing, so you can cancel that HTML course!
Preparing for the Coding Adventure
You don't need to do anything specific to prepare, however you might want to watch our trailer video below, so you understand what our show and activities are all about. And if you'd like more detail, do request access to our volunteer download page, which includes an activities explainer video and resources to help you understand what we'll be doing on the day.
DBS checks
Your school may require you to have a DBS check in advance and they should let you know about this.
At Get with the Program, we usually use the national STEM Ambassador scheme for volunteer DBS checks, and you can apply yourself.
Date and timings
Our Coding Adventures usually start with an assembly-style 30-minute video or show which is often run at around 9am with the children in the hall. Schools decide individually what time they'll be starting, so please reach out to your school to find out what time you're needed if you haven't heard from them or us beforehand.
Example schedule
All schools will run their Coding Adventures differently, however we've put together an example schedule to show you how a typical timetable might look.
What to bring on the day
You won't need to bring anything specific - the school will have all the materials required for the activities - however depending on timings you may need to bring a packed lunch. You may need to liaise directly with the school regarding where you can leave bags, etc.
Dress code
Our activities involve setting out grids on the floor and might be run inside or outside. There's no specific dress code, but please wear comfortable, appropriate clothing and footwear.
Photography
Photography of children by volunteers typically won't be allowed during the Coding Adventure so please be aware of this. The school may have permission to photograph the event after seeking consent from parents, however volunteers are not allowed to take photographs.
You can, however, take a photo of yourself at the school entrance or sign to show us where you are volunteering - let us know using the following hashtags: #CodingAdventure #GetwiththeProgram #GWTP, and encourage the school to use them too!
...psst! Fancy learning to code in Scratch?
Scratch is a simple programming language that we use in our activity for older children aged 7-9.
If you'd like to learn to code in Scratch so you can help with this activity, please request access to our Scratch resources in the Lower Key Stage 2 tab on our volunteer download page (to find it, click the Lower Key Stage 2 button and scroll down)