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# System prepended metadata

title: Notes for Code for Thought episode recording on Monday 16.12

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# Notes for Code for Thought episode recording on Monday 16.12 

## Notes from preparation meeting

- quick self intro (all)

- short introduction of what Code Refinery is (Samantha)
    - we focus on helping researchers and software engineers improve how they develop and maintain software for research
    - we teach "level 1 RSE training" - FAIR research software development
        - topics: tools required but typically skipped in academic curriculum (git, github, testing, documentation, reusability, FAIR)
    - we teach to all levels, all domains: students, researchers, professors, RSE-to-be
    - we do that via workshops (large online and in-person)
    - **training cooperative** (community)
      - Nordic-based but slowly expanding, all welcome
      - keeping in contact, sharing training work by collaborating
      - new people and organizations welcome (try to keep low barrier)   
      - significant overlap with Nordic-RSE 
  - CR: not a legal entity, but a long running project: currently funded by NeIC
      - small, flexible and rather informal -> it's still easy to change/update things
 
- history 
  - what was the reason to create Code Refinery/initial aims (Radovan)
     - NeIC took it from Sweden to Nordics and funded this 2016-2025 
  - what's the connection of CodeRefinery with the HPC community/Carpentries (Radovan)
      - many HPC people/organizations involved, common training
      - Carpentries was different back then (novice) and also CR learner persona was different
      - we took inspiration from Carpentries format and lesson template (but both have evolved since)
      - advertising and outreach likely to reach HPC users
      - we also want to improve the way we teach HPC
  - how has it evolved (Richard)
      - Started as one workshop where designated people would give it ("teaching service").  Now all the teachers/hosts are friends and work together much more ("teaching co-op").
  - how did Covid change the way CodeRefinery ran (Richard)
      - embracing online
      - Larger: less workshops total, larger, more effort for breakouts/mentoring, more people reached, more beginners
      - Developed mass-scale livestream teaching.

- how is the Code Refinery run (a more detailed discussion on what is it)
  - format: before/after Covid (Richard?)
  - who is your target audience now - has that changed after Covid? (Radovan)
    - more beginner-friendly and more usable, trying to meet the researchers where they are (command line)
    - get to know the audience and try to adapt the material to audience 
- are there any CodeRefinery spinoffs - and how does that work? (Samantha)
    - beginning: all CR workshops in-person; there were few CR workshops organized by others
    - now: 
        - partners and also others are recycling materials for other own events
        - use CR workshops as sandbox to find community needs: now building own program based on experiences from CR

- Funding
  - how did it get funded and how is it funded now (Radovan)
    - initially "external" funding by NeIC, co-funded by national HPC centers
    - last 3 years and this is the model we will try to continue: mostly in-kind, meaning: organizations allow interested persons to contribute 1-2 days/week to the project
    - we will seek external funding
  - how would you like it to be in future (Richard)
      - RB suggests that RD answers since Aalto was the first organization which ...
      - get organizations excited so that people can contribute as part of their day job
      - Benefit for organization: 
          - awesome workshop/teaching for "end-users" from a collective
          - training for staff ("copilot seat") 
  - how can others be part of it in future (Samantha)
      - sending participants our way, local breakout rooms
      - co-teaching
      - helping with the organization even outside of teaching it
      - ongoing process


## Notes on the different points

### CodeRefinery-spinoffs
- Bring your own classroom
- NL eScience Center example (trainers came to support, hosted a classroom, then made it their own course, based on materials)
- ...?

### How can others be part
- Ambassador
    - share the word
    - give feedback
    - community of practice
- Observer or Train the trainer
    - learn with us
- Community lives in our Zulip chat
    - news
    - Q&A
    - planning
    - Nordic-RSE
- 
