This article was taken from the July 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Amy Mather's first brush with coding came at a Manchester Girl Geeks workshop when she was 12. Now 14, she has used several coding languages including Python and PHP to design games and write software such as Conway's Game of Life, in which "cells" in a grid live or die based on certain rules. She has also become a leading voice for the kids' coding movement in the UK -- a whirlwind of enthusiasm encouraging peers to get into coding, making and hacking. "Young people are put off by the stereotypes," says Mather (pictured), who was named European Digital Girl of the Year as part of the 2013 Ada Awards. "But if you come to the workshops you'll see that it's more about actually making things, rather than being alone with a computer in your bedroom."
Mather, who spoke at Wired 2013 Next Generation last October, is particularly passionate about Raspberry Pi, the credit-card-sized Linux computer designed to make programming easy. She got started at home before attending a Manchester Raspberry Jam workshop, where she worked on a version of Pac-Man, featuring a photo of her face on the sprite. With coding due to reach the primary school curriculum in September, she also offers some interesting advice on how schools should teach it: "Instead of step-by-step instructions, teach pupils the basics and tell them to make what they want. Give them the chance to be creative." One day, Mather aims to study at MIT. Before then, she wants to set up a Maker Faire for under-18s to show off their coding creations. "It's great when other girls come up to me and say, 'That looks awesome, how can I get involved?'," she says. "It feels good."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
