For seasoned and aspiring coders alike, the third Monday in September is always a day of celebration and innovation. It should be since it’s National Coding Week!

Celebrated from September 14th to 20th every year, the purpose of National Coding Week is to encourage and raise awareness of coding and digital skills for everyone, regardless of age or experience.1 Learning new digital skills and broadening coding knowledge benefits everyone since it enables people to make sense of the continuously changing environment.

The week also promotes the development of coding skills, which are becoming increasingly crucial in closing the skills gap.2 Throughout the week, both novice and experienced coders can improve their technical skills and discover new applications for the technology.

How did it all begin?

The first commemoration of the week took place on September 21, 2014. Former headteacher Richard Rolfe and digital entrepreneur Jordan Love conceptualized and launched National Coding Week in the United Kingdom.2 Love, named the United Kingdom’s EU Code Week Ambassador, and Rolfe were inspired by their experience teaching a group of jobseekers how to code, which helped many of them find work.4 National Coding Week began in the United Kingdom and has since expanded to include the European Union, the United States, Australia, and other nations.

Here are a few ideas to celebrate National Coding Week 2022!

Build Your Coding Skills

Learn Coding Learn About Coding

Enroll in some coding classes to learn how to code or brush up on your coding skills. Depending on your age and knowledge level, you can choose from a variety of membership-based and free classes offered online today. Additionally, you can learn more about coding, applications, historical events, milestones, general coding knowledge, etc. 3

Learn About Pioneering Coders

Learn About Pioneering Coders

Extraordinary coders have contributed to the development of modern America throughout its history. Learn about the programmers who contributed to the development of the digital era, including Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, and many more. 3

Participate in Coding Communities

Participate in Code Clubs

Joining a coding club can help you find a community of coders and support a diverse learning community where you help each other to attain fluency in coding and programming. A coding club usually groups members by experience level, offers hands-on projects, holds regular programming contests, connects them with great coders, and helps them build strong networks. 3

Share Your Skills

Share Your Skills

Two ways to share your coding knowledge are to plan a lesson on digital skills and teach it to your classmates or members of online forums where you believe your teachings would be useful. Prepare a simple lesson plan for what you’ll be teaching, and thoroughly research the facts you’ll be presenting during this time. You could also host a live chat where you could help learners by answering their basic doubts and questions.

Promote Awareness

Promote Awareness

You can easily participate in the national event by spreading knowledge about the day on social media. Using the hashtag #NationalCodingWeekDay, you can post a greeting, quotes, or a few lines about the week, its importance, history, etc., on your social media handles.

The idea behind National Coding Week is to encourage individuals, especially young children, to learn more about coding. Even if you have no prior coding experience, National Coding Week will aid you in your programming adventure, and you could pick up some essential programming abilities! You can find a comprehensive collection of resources on BYJU’S FutureSchool blog, where you can learn more about coding.

References:

  1. NATIONAL CODING WEEK – September 14-20, 2022 – National Today. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://nationaltoday.com/national-coding-week/
  2. National Coding Week 2022: History, Significance and Activities – Merazone.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://www.merazone.com/2022/08/national-coding-week-2022-history.html
  3. 8 Ways to Celebrate National Coding Week | BestColleges. (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2022, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/bootcamps/guides/ways-to-celebrate-national-coding-week/
  4. National Coding Week – Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://alchetron.com/National-Coding-Week
Coding, Life with Coding