I want to preface this article with a little clarification. You may be thinking “We already have a coding club”, and you’d be partially right. Liberty’s TSA club covers a wide range of technology, including some programming. But the programming club I envision is a little different. In this article, I detail my idea of a coding club, and go into its benefits.

So what should a coding club even be? Ideally, it would emphasize cooperation, coordination, and learning while remaining welcoming to students of all levels. It should be beginner-friendly, yet still engaging for more advanced members. . Though it all, it should be solely focused on programming and digital art, encouraging collaboration and creativity among students with different strengths 

To better understand how a coding club could benefit students, I spoke with Liberty’s cybersecurity teacher, Mr. Clark. “I think a coding club would be really good for developing those programming skills that kids can take and monetize and have a career with, and I think a club with low pressure, while not being graded, but kind of being able to explore that topic would be a great thing,” stated Clark.

If there ever was a coding club at Liberty, the next question would be what members would actually do. With how varied ‘coding’ actually is, I think it would make sense to have one large club project of making an application. Members would assign themselves to different roles depending on their skills and work in that area of the app. For example, an artist could work on the UI while a scripter could work on the function of the app. This would both give independence by choosing what to work on and how to work on it, and train cooperation skills by coordinating with other members.

A major problem I can see with this club is working around different languages. Some people may only know Python, while others may only know Javascript. An app can be made with different languages, but not being able to understand someone else’s code could hinder progress on the app. However, this language barrier could be an opportunity for members to learn about new languages and methods, and teach members how to make progress in a diverse workspace.

The biggest problem I see with a coding club is finding a teacher to sponsor it. Obviously, it would require a classroom with computers set up. I asked Mr. Clark about his thoughts on sponsoring a coding club in my short interview with him. “I would love to, except I don’t have the time,” he said. “Like, I’m already sponsoring 2 other clubs, and my own kids have after-school stuff.” Our graphic design teacher, Ms. Arneson, had similar thoughts. “I’m already an advisor for TSA and NTHS,” she explained. So, sponsor options are very slim. But, that doesn’t mean it’d be impossible to find a sponsor. If you’re interested in a coding club, make your voice heard! Make interest forms, talk to teachers, and bring attention to this article. By doing this, you attract the attention of both potential members and potential sponsors.

So, should Liberty have a coding club? I think yes. As stated before, it would teach cooperation in diverse workspaces, give students a low-pressure club to experiment with programming, and expose members to new skills that can be used in the real world.