How do I start a new Club?

We're so excited you want to start a Club! To launch a Club, you'll first need to complete the following tasks:

• Eligibility: Make sure you're eligible to apply.
• Location: Identify an appropriate public, nonprofit location to serve as your Club's host organization.

• Your Role: Determine whether you are the Club Facilitator, signatory, or both:
  • Facilitators lead Club students through the curriculum and attend all Club meetings.
  • A signatory is an employee representative of the Club’s host organization that is able to sign a Girls Who Code Participation Agreement on behalf of their Club. 
  • If you are not able to sign the Girls Who Code Participation Agreement on behalf of your Club, you'll be required to identify this representative when applying to start a Club.

• Resources: Identify how you will provide computers and reliable internet access to all members of the Club. (These could be school or library computers, for example.)

• Timeline: Decide when you plan to run your Club. You can select a start date any time in the next 10 months. Clubs generally meet once a week for 60 minutes for a minimum of 10 sessions, but the frequency and duration of meetings is up to you!

Once you've figured out these details, you're ready to apply by filling out a Clubs Application. 

1. Visit 3-12 Clubs HQ
2. Click Log In (if you have an account) or Sign Up for an account on 3-12 Clubs HQ. Note, 3-12 Club accounts are distinct from other accounts on HQ. 

3. Click Start a new Girls Who Code Club.

4. Complete the application. 

The application should only take about 10-15 minutes to complete. After you submit the application, you'll receive instructions about our background check requirements via email.

Once you've completed the application and the background check (if required), you'll hear back about your Club status within a week.

Once approved, you'll receive a unique Club Code, which will give you access to our learning platform, Girls Who Code HQ, and all of our training resources.

If you recruit additional volunteers to serve as Facilitators, you'll share that Code with them so they can use it to join your Club. Once the Club launches, Facilitators will share the Code with members so they can sign up for HQ as well.

Need more info? Check out our website, which will walk you through everything you need to know about starting a Club. We also strongly encourage any new members to sign up for any upcoming webinars to get more information.