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Sandbox magazine launches to inspire girls with tech

18 May 2020

TECgirls is an initiative to inspire girls in Cornwall aged 6 to 12 with technology. As well as offering events locally supported by teenage mentors, the project is publishing a free magazine called Sandbox. Issue one is out now and includes an Arduino project by 10-year-old Una, a Minecraft project by 11-year-old Emilia, careers advice for future tech entrepreneurs, profiles of women-led start-ups, a feature about how lithium works, and an article about Cornwall's upcoming space base.

The magazine also includes the Abstract Artist project from my freshly updated book Scratch Programming in Easy Steps. Abstract Artist is a one-page Scratch project that generates algorithmic art, and it's one of my favourites among the short projects I put at the end of Scratch Programming in Easy Steps and Cool Scratch Projects in Easy Steps. It's quite hypnotic to watch, but the real fun is in tweaking the code to see what other patterns it can create.

You can read the magazine online here. Click the full screen link, and then use the download link in the top left to download the PDF for use with your favourite PDF reader. Use the button in the bottom right to exit full screen mode. Sandbox is a great magazine that I hope will inspire more girls to tinker with tech today and explore a career in tech in the future. While the mission is to encourage more girls into technology, the magazine will, I hope, also be an interesting and inspiring read for boys. Thank you to the editor and my friend Fiona Campbell-Howes who invited me to contribute, and to everyone who's put it together. It's a fantastic resource for children everywhere.

Find out more about TECgirls here.

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Visit www.sean.co.uk for free chapters from Sean's coding books (including Mission Python, Scratch Programming in Easy Steps and Coder Academy) and more!

Discover my latest books

100 Top Tips: Microsoft Excel

Power up your Microsoft Excel skills with this powerful pocket-sized book of tips that will save you time and help you learn more from your spreadsheets.

Scratch Programming IES

This book, now fully updated for Scratch 3, will take you from the basics of the Scratch language into the depths of its more advanced features. A great way to start programming.

Mission Python

Code a space adventure game in this Python programming book published by No Starch Press.

Cool Scratch Projects in Easy Steps

Discover how to make 3D games, create mazes, build a drum machine, make a game with cartoon animals and more!

Raspberry Pi For Dummies

Set up your Raspberry Pi, then learn how to use the Linux command line, Scratch, Python, Sonic Pi, Minecraft and electronics projects with it.

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In this entertaining techno-thriller, Sean McManus takes a slice through the music industry: from the boardroom to the stage; from the studio to the record fair.