EU Code Week

2020 Edition

This year we are celebrating coding from 10 to 25 October 2020! Due to the current health situation, we are going to bring more Code Week activities online this year. We will be launching new fun and engaging activities that you can join remotely at home or in school.

Featured open online activities

To make it easier to take part in Code Week activities remotely we are launching a calendar of featured online activities.

What is an online activity ?

Online activities can be any activity you would typically add or register on the Code Week website – the only difference being it will take place online. The idea is to make it easy for people to participate in coding sessions and workshops entirely online without risking their health.

Featured open activities

If you want, you can make your online activities available to everyone. People from around the world will be able to take part open online activities, either in English or thelocal language. We will select the most exciting online activities which are open to everyone and feature them in an events calendar on our website.

What this means for participants

Every day of Code Week, you will be able to browse the calendar and take part in the activities that interest you most. The topics of these featured events vary from workshops on robotics, e-learning courses,webinars to coding tutorials and much more. So, take your pick!

Code Week Dance

Who said programmers couldn't dance? To celebrate the 2020 edition of Code Week, we are launching a new activity - the #EUCodeWeekDance challenge.

Who can join?

Everyone from schools, teachers, libraries to code clubs, businesses and public authorities are invited to celebrate EU Code Week 2020 by organising a #EUCodeWeekDance activity and adding it to the Code Week map.

How to participate?

Choose from five types of activities or come up with your own. Regardless of which activity you choose, don't forget to add it to our map.

1. Programme a friend or a parent - no computer needed

Coding lets you give commands to an electronic device. But technically, you don’t need a computer to be able to code. Instead, grab a partner – it can be your classmate, a friend, a parent or even a teacher, and give them instructions how to perform the #EUCodeWeekDance, which they need to follow precisely.

Resources you will need:

2. Visual Programmming

Code your Code Week dance in Scratch. Use the Code Week characters or make your own in Scratch and programme them to do the #EUCodeWeekDance Share your project with us in this Scratch Studio.

Resources you will need:

3. Text-based programming

Produce the #EUCodeWeekDance theme with Python or JavaScript, using code-based music creation platforms like EarSketch or Sonic Pi.

Resources you will need:

4. Robotics

Program your robot to follow your instructions and perform the Code Week Dance.

Resources you will need:

5. Live Dance Challenge

Record a video of yourself, your team or your robot performing the #EUCodeWeekDance, share it on Instagram and get a shot at going viral and winning some Code week goodies! Interested? Follow these steps:
  • Record the video using Instagram Stories
  • Follow @CodeWeekEU on Instagram
  • Mention @CodeWeekEU in your story with the dance and make sure to use the hashtag #EUCodeWeekDance
Winners will be selected every day and announced on our Instagram channel via Stories, so don't forget to check your notifications regularly, you might just run into good luck today.

Resources you will need:

The #EUCodeWeekDance is based on the Ode to Code, composed by Brendan Paolini, and the dance developed by Bianca Maria Berardi in 2015, from an idea of Alessandro Bogliolo, Professor of Computer Systems at the University of Urbino.

Code Week Treasure Hunt

This is a game on Telegram that is simple enough for beginners, but also challenging to keep experienced participants on their toes.

The Code Week Treasure Hunt is a game best played on your PC with a mobile phone in hand. The game will ask you to solve coding challenges and guide you through the history of coding, computer science and technology in Europe.

To start playing you need to

  1. Download the Telegram app. It is available for Desktop (Windows, macOS and Linux), iOS and Android
  2. You can play the game either on your PC or laptop, or on your smartphone. We recommend you play it on your computer so that you can get the instructions and solve the coding challenges on the Telegram app on your phone.
  3. To play the game, open the game and scan the QR code that will take you to the Telegram app and give you the first set of instructions.
  4. To win, you need to solve 10 coding challenges and find 10 locations on the map of Europe that are linked to the rise of coding and technology.
  5. After you complete the game, share your your score with your friends using #EUCodeWeek and challenge them to play and learn about the history of coding too. Let's see who scores the top results!
The Code Week Treasure Hunt is the virtual version of the original EU Code Week Treasure Hunt which was first developed by Alessandro Bogliolo, Professor of Computer Systems at the University of Urbino. To learn more about his original game, visit our blog.

How to get involved

Can’t wait to start coding? If you would like to join the EU Code Week community but don't know where to start, take a look at these resources that will help get you started, just in time for our annual celebration in October.