Raspberry Pi Foundation Launches Code Club Initiative to Demystify AI for Children

TL;DR:

  • Raspberry Pi Foundation runs 2,000+ free code clubs across UK teaching children coding and digital skills
  • Initiative aims to help children understand AI-driven technology and advocate for their own rights in an AI-dominated world
  • CEO Philip Colligan (CBE) emphasises importance of children understanding “what’s behind the screen” as AI becomes embedded in everyday life

The Raspberry Pi Foundation, based in Cambridge, has hosted a special code club session as part of EU Code Week, inviting primary school pupils to explore hands-on digital projects. The educational charity aims to give every child the opportunity to understand and shape the technology surrounding them in an age of artificial intelligence.

Context and Background

The foundation currently operates more than 2,000 free code clubs across the UK, including 200 in the East of England. These clubs offer hundreds of step-by-step projects helping children learn coding, build websites, develop digital skills and understand how technology works.

Philip Colligan, chief executive of the foundation and CBE holder for services to engineering and technology, said children are surrounded by technology that often feels “magical”. The initiative seeks to demystify this by teaching them what’s behind the decisions made by machines. “All of us are on the end of decisions made for us by machines and it’s really important kids can understand how those decisions are being made so they can advocate for their own rights,” he explained.

Learning manager Dips Thompson, who mentors at code clubs, emphasised that sessions are influenced by what young people want to learn. The clubs help children develop wider life skills including communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving.

Looking Forward

Colligan noted that whilst AI systems can generate code, they still need skilled human programmers to control the systems and ensure what they produce is safe, ethical, and relevant. The foundation’s work addresses this future need by building both technical skills and critical thinking capabilities in the next generation.

The initiative represents a proactive approach to preparing children for an AI-driven world, ensuring they have the agency and understanding to shape rather than simply consume technology.

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