'Hour of Code' Kicks Off to Introduce K-12 Students to Computer Programming
IEEE Computer Society is joining Code.org, the non-profit dedicated to promoting computer science education, in calling on every K-12 student in America to join an "Hour of Code." The initiative asks schools, teachers and parents across the country to help introduce more than 10 million students of all ages to computer programming during Computer Science Education Week, 9-15 December, 2013.
- (1888PressRelease) October 22, 2013 - LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - "Thanks to the amazing support of new partners and donors, the Hour of Code campaign will launch our long-term mission to give every student the opportunity to learn computer science," said Hadi Partovi, co-founder and CEO, Code.org. "This isn't just about the tremendous job opportunities in software - every 21st century child can benefit from learning this foundational field."
The Hour of Code campaign aims to demystify computer science for students across the country by taking them through introductory tutorials that can be completed online, on a smartphone, or even unplugged. Code.org will offer online tutorials authored by numerous educational groups and is challenging teachers, parents and even employers to encourage students of all ages to engage during Computer Science Education Week.
Code.org's own tutorial has been created in collaboration with engineers from Microsoft, Google, Twitter and Facebook. Designed as a game that teaches basic coding principles, it will feature guest lectures by technologists including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg and artwork from popular games such as Rovio's "Angry Birds" and PopCap Games' "Plants vs. Zombies."
Classrooms across the country will have a chance to win a variety of prizes for participating, including:
* The first 100,000 educators who host an Hour of Code for their classroom or club will receive 10GB of free storage from Dropbox.
* 50 schools who organize an Hour of Code will win a full class-set of computers - one winner in every state.
* 50 classrooms will win a group video conference call with a technology titan to kick off their Hour of Code. Participants include: Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey, Square and Susan Wojcicki, Google.
* Students who take a follow-up course online will have a chance to win additional prizes, including Skype credits and online gift cards.
Code.org is announcing its founding donors, including organizations such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, JPMorgan Chase & Co., LinkedIn, salesforce.com and Omidyar Network, as well as over a dozen technology leaders including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, Reid Hoffman, Jack Dorsey, Drew Houston, Ron Conway and John Doerr.
In addition to its donors, Code.org has partnered with numerous companies to support the campaign, including Apple, Dropbox, Yahoo, Electronic Arts and Zynga. Additionally, many education organizations will promote the Hour of Code to tens of millions of students and teachers nationwide, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the College Board's Advanced Placement Program, Khan Academy, DonorsChoose.org and many others. IEEE Computer Society is a promotional partner. The full list of partners and donors can be found here: code.org/hourofcode.
To reach 10 million students, Code.org is encouraging all schools, corporations and individuals to take action. See hourofcode.com for details on how anyone can recruit teachers, schools, employers and community organizations to help.
About Code.org
Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to growing computer science education by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. We believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra. For more information, please visit: www.code.org.
About Computer Science Education Week
Computer Science Education Week is an annual celebration in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Hopper (December 9, 1906). It was established by ACM and CSTA, along with founding partners Anita Borg Institute, ACM, College Board, CRA, IEEE-CS, CSTA, Google, Microsoft, NCTM, NCWIT, NSTA, and SAS. For more information, please visit: http://csedweek.org/.
About the IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Computer Society is the world's leading computing membership organization and the trusted information and career-development source for a global workforce of technology leaders including: professors, researchers, software engineers, IT professionals, employers, and students. The unmatched source for technology information, inspiration, and collaboration, the IEEE Computer Society is the source that computing professionals trust to provide high-quality, state-of-the-art information on an on-demand basis. The Computer Society provides a wide range of forums for top minds to come together, including technical conferences, publications, and a comprehensive digital library, unique training webinars, professional training, and a Corporate Affiliate Program to help organizations increase their staff's technical knowledge and expertise.
The Computer Society is the producer of Rock Stars of Big Data, the must-attend big data event of the year, and the personalized information tool, myComputer, now available at an introductory price. To find out more about the community for technology leaders, visit http://www.computer.org.
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