Hour of Code 2014
Student ambassadors from the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing will engage with five Bloomington elementary schools as a part of "Hour of Code".
Hour of Code is the central activity of Code.org's Computer Science Education Week (CSEW), which takes place December 8-14. CSEW is an annual program, held in conjunction with the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science.
"Hour of Code and more generally, educating the next generation about technology, is something I am very passionate about and something that is very important for us to do. Research shows that reaching children early in their education is key if you want to give them confidence and spark interest in certain areas, especially STEM. So by going and working with local elementary schools during the Hour of Code week, we are trying to empower these young children and give them an "I Can!" attitude when it comes to technology,” said Jenna Elkins, an undergraduate student majoring in Informatics.
Hour of Code is a global initiative, reaching more than 180 countries. In 2013, 15 million students world wide learned an Hour of Code, including 10 million females.
"It is great to see this effort increasing the participation of a large and diverse group of students in computer science at the K-12 level." said SoIC Dean Bobby Schnabel, who is on the Board of Directors of Code.org.
The idea for SoIC participation in Hour of Code was generated by student's interested in helping students learn more about the technology. Inspired by the challenge, they designed hands-on outreach activities to support the event. SoIC students will be assisting five local elementary schools - Binford, Clear Creek, Fairview, Templeton, and University - implement The One Hour of Code activities into the classroom curriculum as well as provide students with presentations on the endless opportunities in the field of technology.
"It is rare for an elementary student to aspire to be a computer scientist. I do not think that there is a lack of interest in technology, I think there is a lack of awareness," said Lamara Warren, director of diversity and education for the School. "I think it is important for students to understand they can do more than play with technology."
Visit the Computer Science Education Week website for more information about the events of the week.