Code Club: Ākonga Spotlight Meet Amani & Lilith!
At Code Club Aotearoa, we're all about empowering the next generation of digital innovators.
Through hands-on activities, our tamariki aren't just learning to code — they’re making friends, building confidence, solving real-world problems, and discovering the joy of technology.
We sat down with Lilith and Amani, two passionate Code Club ākonga who love creating in Scratch, to hear more about their journey with Code Club!
Kia ora!
Can you introduce yourself and tell us why you wanted to join Code Club?
Amani: Hello! My name is Amani. I am a year 6 student and go to Glen Eden Primary School. I love reading books, painting, watching and reading Harry Potter and gymnastics. I wanted to join Code Club because I wanted to learn coding and how to make cool stuff with Scratch.
Lilith: Hey, I am Lilith. I’m 10 years old and currently go to Sunnyvale school. My dad and family like video games so I wanted to make him one.
Can you share a moment when you felt really proud of what you created at Code Club?
Amani: I felt proud when I made the project ‘next customer please’. So you basically make a shop app where the customer can buy items from your shop. I like it because I made the customer, shopkeeper, and the background ocean themed. The customer was a mermaid and the shopkeeper was a jellyfish. I made it using Scratch!
Amani working on her Jellyfish Shop project
Have you faced any challenges while learning to code? How did you overcome them?
Amani: The biggest challenge was me learning to code because it was something I hadn’t done before. I overcame it by making friends and trying my best on whatever task I’m doing.
What would you say to other tamariki who are thinking about joining Code Club?
Amani: I think they should join Code Club if they want to learn new skills like using Scratch, Python, and Micro:bit. It is also a great opportunity for them to maybe discover their future career.
Lilith: I would tell them that everyone is so nice and that every session you learn a new thing. I would change how noisy it is.
Finally, could you please describe Code Club in three words?
Amani: Creative and Wonderfully Chaotic!
Lilith: Inspirational, Fun, Challenging
Lilith adding the final touches to her find the bug project
Aspiring young coders like Amani & Lilith take part in Code Clubs all over Aotearoa every week. This is made possible through the dedication of our volunteers, kaiako, community educators and librarians, as well as the financial support from our sponsors.
We want to give a shout-out to Younity for sponsoring this important kaupapa. Younity’s generous contributions not only make Code Club possible but also ensure that we can reach a wider audience of tamariki, especially those that face barriers to accessing extracurricular coding education. Thank you, Younity, for helping us empower the next generation of creators and innovators!