Tickets are currently available here for the meeting of the Silicon Valley CoderDojo on October 17th … but by the time you read this there won’t be any left. The event is extremely popular and seats are limited. I’ve been getting a number of questions so allow me to answer some of the most frequent.
What is the CoderDojo? What is Breakout Mentors? Are they the same?
CoderDojo is a free kids programming club movement started in Ireland. Breakout Mentors founder Brian Skinner is one of the lead mentors organizing the creation of a local chapter in Mountain View. Breakout Mentors is a Palo Alto business that provides kids 1-on-1 programming mentorship. For students that are interested in programming, Breakout Mentors is the best way to learn with a project-based approach that focuses on the long-term interest.
How Can I Get a Ticket to the CoderDojo?
Space is limited and demand is high, so tickets are hard to come by. Here is the best way to get a ticket to future meetings:
1) Join the email list here. Breakout Mentors won’t necessarily announce every meeting and certainly won’t do it before the CoderDojo email list receives notice (although all sessions will be on the Bay Area Kids Programming Events Calendar). So sign up for the Silicon Valley CoderDojo email list!
2) If tickets are sold out for the meeting, be sure to sign up for the waitlist. The waitlist will have the first opportunity to get a ticket for the next event. Join the waitlist for the current meeting here.
Is the CoderDojo a Good Indication of Breakout Mentors? If I’m Interested in Breakout Mentors, Would Attending a CoderDojo Meeting be a Good First Step?
The CoderDojo and Breakout Mentors have different purposes and different mentors. Attending the CoderDojo would be a good way to meet Breakout Mentors founder Brian Skinner in person, but none of our other mentors currently volunteer for the CoderDojo.
The CoderDojo is a group of 20+ students of varying ages and experience. Breakout Mentors usually works 1-on-1 to match each student’s skill level and encourage their creativity. There are some significant differences, so the CoderDojo isn’t necessarily an indication of whether your student would be a good fit for Breakout Mentors. The CoderDojo is an excellent way to get a wide range of experience in programming and meet other kids with similar interests.
Hope to see you there!