What makes young people come to Dojos time and time again?

The young people who attend CoderDojo are called Ninjas, and they'll get a lot out of your Dojo. While each Ninja is unique, there are few things you tend to hear repeatedly when you ask Ninjas why they enjoy CoderDojo.

It's fun!

Making cool things with code is fun. Ninjas get to create something awesome based on what they're interested in, and they get to share what they've created with their friends. They also get to learn how to code, which can look a bit like magic the first time you make it work!

"I thought it might just be something where you have to do this and have to do that, but it was actually really fun, and I coded a few things for the first time."
Lucy, Ninja, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland

Making friends

Ninjas at a Dojo get to meet other young people who they share interests with, and work together with them to learn and improve their coding skills.

"It's quite easy to make friends here, and a lot of people have the same kind of ideas as well, so they might be able to help you, and they might know what to do. So that's what I like about CoderDojo, that you can get help instead of just always asking the mentors."
Joe, Ninja, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland

Making cool things they care about

Once they've got the basics down, CoderDojo Ninjas pick their own projects and work on what they're interested in, sometimes together with other Ninjas. They learn what they need to complete the projects they want to build. This means that if they lose interest in a project, they just change it or replace it with something that excites them.

"It's really fun in CoderDojo, because you meet loads of friends, and sometimes you can do teamwork, and sometimes you can make your own projects, and it's really fun!"
Erin, Ninja, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland

Why do you think young people will come to your Dojo? What will keep them coming back? Will their reasons differ depending on age, gender, or other factors?