Knowledge of computer science (CS) is likely to help you get a job, but the actual numbers behind this are even more encouraging:
- New programming jobs are growing three times faster than the number of students entering the field.
- More than 50 percent of all math and science jobs are for computer scientists.
- Computer science jobs are the highest-paying jobs for new graduates.
Software powers our economy, but less than 2.4 percent of college students graduate with a CS degree. That means there aren’t going to be enough graduates to fill these jobs.
Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it. Promote computer science by hosting an Hour of Code event in your community during Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), December 9 to 15, 2013.
An Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify computer code and show that anyone can learn the basics to become a creator and an innovator.
CSEdWeek is an annual program organized by the Computing in the Core coalition and Code.org to show K-12 students the importance of computer science education. The goal is to get kids to think, create and have a blast – all while learning some computer programming.
The Hour of Code initiative only works with people like you driving it. How you bring an Hour of Code to your community is completely up to you. The best part is CSEdWeek has done the ground work for you. For instance, the statistics in the first few paragraphs of this blog entry were taken directly from sample promotional tools provided by the Computing in the Core coalition and Code.org. So you don’t have to invent the wheel here; you just have to get it rolling. Browse through statistics, one-pagers, canned presentations, posters and many more of the fantastic resources available.
If you’re an educator, host the Hour of Code as an activity in your classroom. If you’re an organizer or employer, host an Hour of Code event as a team-building exercise, after-school activity in a club or elsewhere in your community. Sign up and CSEdWeek will send you materials and tips to ensure your Hour of Code runs smoothly. You can also help by simply spreading the word and helping the Hour of Code reach its goal to reach 10,000,000 participants.
