The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has joined leaders of the computing community to invite schools, teachers, and parents to experience computer programming through the Code.org campaign known as Hour of Code. Scheduled to occur during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-15, this nationwide campaign hopes to introduce more than 10 million students of all ages to the basics of coding, a foundational skill for careers in the 21st century.
The Hour of Code is a self-guided activity that every student can use to try out the essentials of computer science. It includes a variety of tutorials featuring technology leaders like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
The online tutorials offered by Code.org are authored by various educational groups and gaming companies. These hour-long tutorials can be completed online, on a smartphone, or even unplugged. Classrooms across the country will have opportunities to win prizes for participating, including a group conference call for 100 classrooms with a technology titan to kick off their Hour of Code.
A founding partner of Computer Science Education Week and a core partner of Code.org in bringing real computer science to U.S. high schools, ACM is inviting its student and professional members to engage with their families, schools, professional and recreational groups to participate in the Hour of Code. For instance, ACM is offering incentives to ACM Student Chapters to mobilize their members with messages that emphasize the ability of simple computer science activities to nurture creativity and problem-solving skills.
