After another year navigating the pandemic, we are delighted that Europe’s biggest digital skills program, Meet and Code, continued to grow in popularity.
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14.12.2021
We received a 15% increase in applications and a 10% increase in funded events which resulted in more events taking place in cities across Europe.
We would like to give a big thank you to all the NPOs who took part in Meet and Code this year - all in the name of improving 21st century skills to help address and conquer Europe’s digital divide.
In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aligned to EU Code Week, we’re proud to have concluded our 5th year of igniting a passion for all things digital among Europe’s youth.
By exploring a broad range of tech-based topics and different ways to code, participants were once again encouraged to develop the necessary skills needed for tomorrow’s digital jobs. This was rolled out at fun and interactive workshops hosted by non-profit organizations (NPOs) across 35 European countries.
To assist the NPOs to host these workshops, Meet and Code provides funding of up to 500 euros per event. This year, 68% of NPOs said that their events were only possible because of the funding provided. Improving digital skills across Europe is vital as according to the Digital Economy and Society Index 2021, just over half of individuals have basic digital skills.
Feedback from those who make Meet and Code possible
Participants at this year’s events said that they loved learning about the amazing things they can do on the internet and the evolution of robotics. They also enjoyed creating something and being able to see it come to life. In fact, following the 2021 workshops, our participants said that their IT skills improved from 40% to 60%, with 84% of participants saying they would like to learn more about coding in general.
NPOs said that they enjoyed the opportunity to connect with students all over the world and felt that the process of registering their events and the guidance provided was excellent. Meet and Code also gave them the opportunity to introduce more local girls to coding. In fact, over the past three years, around 50% of the participants at the events were girls.
Eye on the prize
Each year the most creative ideas used by non-profits to inspire young people about coding are recognised at the Meet and Code Awards. Winners of each category receive 2.000 euros prize money. The categories, which are aligned to five of the SGDs include: Girls do IT! (SDG5), Community (SDG11), Diversity (SDG10), Code for the Planet (SDG13) and Code for Europe (SDG17).
The most impressive events from each of the 35 participating countries will be shortlisted by the local TechSoup partner. Thereafter, our esteemed Meet and Code jury will carefully select three finalists in each of the categories from which the winners will be chosen.
Each of the three finalists from the five categories will be invited to the festive Meet and Code Awards weekend where the winners will be announced. Due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, it is yet to be determined if the closing event will be virtual or in-person at a European location, however it will be hosted in Spring 2022.
Registrations close on 15 December 2021. Find out more about the awards here. Don’t miss out!
Each year, Meet and Code takes place throughout September and October. The founding partners are Haus des Stiftens gGmbH, TechSoup Europe, and SAP with, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) as the European partner. To find out more about Meet and Code visit www.meet-and-code.org or follow us on Twitter or connect on Facebook and Instagram.
