Finalist category: BT Young Pioneer Award
#T4GHackerfemo
Finalist, 2016
At the age of nine, Femi Owolade-Coombes began to get involved in the world of coding. He joined local Raspberry Pi community events, attended the YRS Festival of Code, ran Physical Computing workshops at Southend and Covent Garden Jams, and was the youngest facilitator at MozFest 2015, running a physical computing workshop for participants.
Inspired by his love of coding, and his Tourette’s Syndrome diagnosis at the age of seven, Femi set up a crowd funding campaign through Indiegogo to raise money to set up an Autism and Tourette’s Syndrome friendly ‘South London Raspberry Jam’. Within five days he had reached his target, and by two weeks he had doubled his target, raising £1,281 to buy Lapdocks and other materials for the Jam. Their 3rd Jam in May at Kano HQ was really successful. All 46 tickets were taken and Femi is proud to report that 43% of attendees were made up of Autism families and 20% from families with children with Tourette’s Syndrome. Femi has introduced over 100 young people and their families to coding – all for free, and all at the age of just 10 years old.
Finalist for the BT Young Pioneer Award, Femi Owolade-Coombes is making coding accessible to young people with his infectious enthusiasm and determination for inclusive Jams. Visit the Hackerfemo website for more information. To find out who won the BT Young Pioneer Award, visit the Winners 2016 page.
