What is Year of Code?
Year of Code is an independent, non-profit campaign to encourage people across the country to get coding for the first time in 2014. Through code people can discover the power of computer science, changing the way they think about, and get the most out of, the world around them.
We will be banging the drum for all the fantastic coding initiatives taking place over the course of year and want to help many more people engage with technology and access important training opportunities.
Over the course of the year we will signpost national and community tech events, crowdsource funding to help parents, pupils and educational organisations. We will commission detailed polling and analysis on how we can take coding far and wide.
Code is the language we use
to instruct computers.
We use code to build websites and apps, design clothes, publish books, make games
and music, and to get the most from technology.
Getting to know code is really important. It means you can be creative with computers,
start your own business or boost your earning potential. It is really simple to learn and
anyone can do it - not just rocket scientists.
Did you know?

Nearly 60% of
people think
computer
coding is an
important skill
for today's job market

1 in 6 people do
not have basic
digital skills
*www.go-on.co.uk

Nearly 50% of
people would
like to learn
computer
coding
In 2014 we want to celebrate
technology & encourage more
people to start writing code.
In September 2014 coding will be introduced to the school timetable for every child aged
5-16 years old, making the UK the first major G20 economy in the world to implement this
on a national level. This is a landmark policy change that will arm a generation of
school-leavers with the skills for the 21st century, & we want them to make the
most of this first class opportunity.
With a number of like-minded partners we will host events up & down the country. We
want to work with everyone, from small businesses, FTSE 100 companies, music fans,
job-hunters, mums & Lords, to help them learn code & create exciting things on computers.
Will you commit to learning code this year?
You can get started by making your own Pong game with
Kano and Moshi Monsters.
Some ways to get started
In the UK we are already blessed with some amazing organisations, big & small who have
been working to help make coding exciting & accessible across the country.
Just some of these include:
- BCS
- bcs.org
- CODECADEMY
- codecademy.com
- CODE CLUB
- codeclub.org.uk
- CODE KINGDOMS
- codekingdoms.com
- CODERDOJO
- coderdojo.com
- CODE.ORG UK
- uk.code.org
- DECODED
- decoded.co/uk
- FREEFORMERS
- freeformers.com
- FOUNDERS FOR SCHOOLS
- founders4schools.org.uk
- GoON UK
- go-on.co.uk
- KANO
- kano.me
- RASPBERRY PI
- raspberrypi.org
- YOUNG REWIRED STATE
- youngrewiredstate.org
Partners
People
Rohan Silva Chairman
Entrepreneur in Residence,
Index Ventures.
Saul Klein Advisor
Investor and Entrepreneur.
James Bilefield Advisor
Digital Entrepreneur,
Advisor & Investor.
Nina Bhatia Advisor
Managing Director,
Strategy and M & A, British Gas.
Suli Breaks Advisor
Poet.
Emily Brooke Advisor
Founder & CEO,
Blaze.
Cristiana Camisotti Advisor
Co-founder,
Silicon Milkroundabout.
Tanya Cordrey Advisor
Chief Digital Officer,
Guardian News and Media.
Sherry Coutu Advisor
Chair,
Founders4School.
Dr. Dan Crow Advisor
CTO,
Songkick.
Ian Fordham Advisor
Co-Founder,
The Education Foundation.
Julia Fowler Advisor
Founder,
Editd.
Jason Goodman Advisor
Founder & CEO,
Albion.
Jermaine Hagen Advisor
Founder,
Revision App.
Christian Hernandez Advisor
Managing Partner,
White Star Capital.
Alex Klein Advisor
Founder,
Kano.
Divinia Knowles Advisor
COO/CFO,
MindCandy.
Baroness Lane Fox Advisor
Founder,
lastminute.com.
Alicia Navarro Advisor
Founder,
Skimlinks.
Kathryn Parsons Advisor
Founder,
Decoded.
Ruchi Sanghvi Advisor
First female engineer,
Facebook.
Zach Sims Advisor
Founder,
Codecademy.
Reshma Sohoni Advisor
Founder,
Seedcamp.
Ben Southworth Advisor
Co-founder,
3Beards.
James Whelton Advisor
CoderDojo Co-Founder,
HWF Founder.
Conrad Wolfram Advisor
Founder,
computerbasedmath.org.
Michelle you Advisor
Songkick Co-founder &
Commander-in-Chief of product.