Computer Science Education Week is next week, December 8-14. We at Microsoft Chicago are excited to contribute to the global effort to give ALL students the opportunity to learn computer science.
Code.org has some great resources to help get computer science in your schools. While 25 states, including Illinois, have standards in place allowing students to count computer science credit toward high school graduation, 25 others are still behind. With an established skills gap and a growing need for workers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, promoting computer science is a priority — and one that is easy to accomplish if we all work together.
Here are some facts about computer science in Illinois, via Code.org:
Here are some ways you can get involved in Computer Science Education Week:
- Talk to your school: Talk to your local school district about computer science and allowing courses to satisfy a core math or science requirement. Discuss expanding computer science offerings in K-12 classrooms.
- Promote computer science in our state: Visit http://code.org/promote/il to learn more about how you can support computer science education in our state.
- Become a ‘Skype in the Classroom’ guest speaker: Join Skype and Code.org in instructing students in specialized tech topics. All it takes is one simple call to change a student’s life!
Participate in the #HourOfCode:Join tens of millions of students and instructors in over 180 countries in the Hour of Code this year. The largest learning event in history, the Hour of Code encourages problem-solving skills, logic and creativity by offering one hour of computer science education to anyone willing to participate. Everyone starts somewhere, and the Hour of Code is a great place to start.- Free YouthSpark #HourOfCode workshops at your local Microsoft Store: The Microsoft Stores will be hosting workshops where students will learn to code, create their own game, and achieve more. Find a store near you: http://retail.ms/storeloc
- Tell the world! Share the Code.org video on social media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc
To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to youth and education, visit our YouthSpark Hub or follow us on twitter at @msftcitizenship.