Code.org is putting CSEdWeek on steroids this year!

My department, like many of yours, has traditionally run a programming contest and an open house in conjunction with Computer Science Education Week – the week of Grace Murray Hopper’s birthday each year.

This year, Code.org has established a new, audacious goal:  have every student – every American, in fact – spend one hour learning to code!   A phenomenal new programming environment has been created to make this possible – students will learn about flow of control, etc., using a drag-and-drop interface, not by writing C or Java.

This is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY for you to get involved with K-12 institutions in your region.  Check it out.  Figure out what YOU can do to expand the uptake of the Hour of Code.  Nearly 2 million K-12 students are already on board.  How many of them are in YOUR state?  Do something about it!

Programming is a valuable skill.  More importantly, though, it’s the hands-on, inquiry-based way that we teach computational thinking – a necessary concept for every 21st century citizen.

Make it happen!  Momentum is building.  Be part of it!  Don’t sit on the sidelines.