Scratch 2050

After announcing the coding clubs, teachers should register students. The number of students per club will be determined by the availability of computers. Every semester, a club will start with new members so that all learners who are interested will have the opportunity to take part in the club. 3 clubs per school will be set up, each facilitated by a STEM or ICT teacher.

Every term, a new coding club cycle will start. Students who cannot join the first cycle can join the second or third cycle. There are different ways to select students for a club. You can select them on a “first come, first serve” basis. An alternative is to give all learners a deadline for expressing their interest in joining a club and select members by lottery. Those who are not selected can then join the next cycle.

Informing Your Colleagues and School Management 

Before the start of the learning trajectory, there will be an informative session where all headteachers, sector education inspectors, and all people involved in the education will be invited. In this session, they will be informed about the project and discuss the practicalities of how this project is going to be implemented. Afterward, 3 teachers from each school will be trained. Before the launch of the clubs, the trained teachers will be required to raise awareness of the project and its benefits. Headteachers will be required to inform parents about the project and help in encouraging students to join the clubs during the launch.

Motivating Students to Join the Coding Club 

You are encouraged to use Scratch in your STEM and ICT lessons. However, for deeper learning, learners need to join a coding club. In a coding club, students have many opportunities to use Scratch at different ages and grade levels. In order to learn how to express their ideas with code, students need to learn more than the basic grammar and vocabulary of coding. They need time and space to experiment with making different types of projects, such as interactive stories, games, and animations. By exploring ways to combine their own images, words, and sounds into online projects, they expand their ability to give voice to their ideas.

While launching the coding clubs, begin your speech like this:

“Hello everyone, I am (teacher’s name) 

I participated in the Scratch training and I would like to share what I have learned with you. Technology is growing so fast in Rwanda and in the rest of the world. As matter of fact, it is being integrated into all sectors. The education sector is also trying to integrate technology into teaching and learning. 

We have launched the project called Scratch 2050. The aim of the Scratch2050 project is to equip 135 ICT and STEM teachers of 45 secondary schools in the Kayonza district with the competencies needed to initiate and facilitate after-school Scratch 2050 coding clubs for secondary school learners and to integrate Scratch into ICT and STEM lesson plans. I have participated in the training and I want to start a coding club. 

Coding clubs are communities of students that meet regularly after school to learn and exchange knowledge of Scratch. We are now on the stage of launching clubs. I would like you to take this opportunity to join this club and shape your future. We want you to have experience with technology when you finish your high school. That will prepare your life after high school and pave a good way to your careers. 

Together with my colleagues, we will facilitate these clubs and we encourage you to join.”