Thank you, Free Geek!

May 21, 2015 by wendy





At Marshmallow Coding, we’d like to express our sincere gratitude to Free Geek Vancouver for providing us with 6 laptops through their hardware grants program.


Our story with Free Geek

During the period when I was just studying the market of education for the youngest generation, I came across many shortcomings in the projects of my competitors. It is clear that all ideas need to be contained in a certain document, so I started writing a marketing plan in time.When I first started thinking about the types of programs that Marshmallow Coding would offer, I thought that Scratch would be great for children who could read, but what about children who were younger?

Through my research, I found the LEGO Education WeDo Construction Set, which introduces children to robotics. They can build models by combining traditional LEGO bricks with motors and sensors, and then program the motors and sensors using an icon-based programming language within the WeDo software.

I was excited to have found this new resource, but I was missing a couple of things: the LEGO sets and computers to run the WeDo software. Luckily, a friend introduced me to Adrian, Production Coordinator at Free Geek Vancouver, who told me about their hardware grants program.


Hardware grants made easy

Adrian was wonderful to work with throughout the grant process. After submitting an online application, he followed up with some questions, and along the way, he kept me informed of their progress. Then a couple of weeks ago, he told me they had 6 laptops ready for pickup. I finally met Adrian in person as well as their Laptop Build Coordinator. They made sure I had everything that I needed, helped me to my car, and informed me of Open Help Night on Wednesdays in case I ever needed free support.


Robotics for kids coming soon

Now that we have the laptops, our next step is to acquire the LEGO sets. We hope to launch our robotics program next year, and Free Geek will have made that possible. To learn more about Free Geek, visit the Free Geek website.




Tech for Kids and Marshmallow Coding team up

May 13, 2015 by wendy




Kobe Drawing by Marcus Kwan is licensed under CC by-sa 2.0


For every elementary school that receives a computer donation from Tech for Kids, Marshmallow Coding will provide up to 10 free coding lessons.


Today, we’re excited to announce our partnership with Tech for Kids! Tech for Kids is a non-profit organization that aims to empower kids with technology. Every quarter, they gather and refurbish computers to donate to schools, families, and organizations that need computers to educate children.


Computers and coding together

With our new partnership, for every elementary school that receives a computer donation from Tech for Kids, Marshmallow Coding will provide up to 10 free coding lessons. To date, Tech for Kids has donated computers to Lord Roberts Elementary, Strawberry Hill Elementary, and Renfrew Elementary, and there are more donations to come.


Shared vision and values

At Marshmallow Coding, we’re thrilled to be partnering with another organization that also values making technology education accessible for all children, and working together to give back to our community. If you know a school in Metro Vancouver that needs computers, or you’d like more information, visit the Tech for Kids website.