The Raspberry Pi Foundation works to put the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world. Making things with technology can help young people learn how to solve problems, build resilience, help their communities and express themselves. The Raspberry Pi Foundation now runs the world’s largest network of volunteer-led computing clubs (Code Clubs and CoderDojos) and creates free educational resources that are used by millions of young people all over the world to learn how to create with digital technologies.

Digital Maker Staged Activity Badge

The Digital Maker Staged Activity badge will help young people to develop skills in problem solving, resilience and creativity, alongside key digital skills essential for today and tomorrow.

We have been working hard to make sure that the badge is relevant and accessible. The activities presented here are relevant to scouting, and we will continue to release new activities that support the badge over the coming months. We are working to make the Digital Maker Staged Activity Badge accessible by providing every scout leader with the confidence, support, and kit that enables you to offer the badge to your young people.

Digital Maker Badge 1

Requirement 1: Computers in the real world. Watch this video to see this activity in action!

Requirement 2: Create a campsite

Requirement 3: Compass coding (using laptops or tablets) or Compass coding (tech freeversion). Watch this video to see this activity in action!

Digital Maker Badge 2

Requirement 1: Pixel art ; Pixel Art Bugs ; Micro:bit Treasure Hunt 

Requirement 2: Leaf identifier ; Micro:bit Treasure Hunt

Requirement 3: Micro:bit Treasure Hunt ; Micro:bit Campfire Music

Digital Maker Badge 3

Requirement 1: Make a Website ; Interactive Map

Requirement 2: Micro:bit Step Tracker

Requirement 3: Interactive Map ; Micro:bit Step Tracker

Requirement 4: Presentation Guide

Find below more activity ideas in Raspberry Pi's features in Make Do Share Magazine:

Make Do Share Summer 18 - Be a secret agent

Cipher wheel template

Make Do Share Autumn 18 - Gaming for good

What kit do you need?

A lot of work has gone into designing activities that require very little equipment. All the current activities at stages 1 and 2 can be completed with a laptop without access to the internet, as well as some tech-free activities. When preparing to launch the new badge, we talked to lots of leaders about what kit they had available. They told us that while laptops should be fairly easy to borrow for sessions, internet access and WiFi was patchy or non-existent. We’ve created activities with this in mind.

A lot of our activities use Scratch,  a programming, or coding, tool designed for children. You can use it to create games, stories and animations and program with art, music and sound. If you don’t have access to the internet in your meeting place, you’ll need to do a small amount of preparation with the laptops you’ll be using. Full instructions are included in each activity, but you need to download Scratch from the Scratch download page.

You can read more about Scratch in this quick overview, but the best way to understand it is to try it! Open Create a campsite and have a go.

Stage 2 and 3 introduce the use of Micro:bit for several activities, you can read this short guidefor help!

What’s next?

We have a lot more planned for our partnership with the Scout Association, including supporting leaders at events, finding more ways to help you all get access to exciting kit, and building confidence with specialist volunteers.

If there’s any questions in the meantime, please email scouts@raspberrypi.org