|
About Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek)
CSEdWeek takes place December 9-15, 2013 to coincide with Admiral Grace Hopper’s birthday, a visionary computer scientist born on December 9, 1906. CSEdWeek was first recognized in 2010 when the 111th Congress passed House Resolution 1560. This weeklong celebration raises awareness about the impact of computing on innovation and economic growth, as well as the need to bolster computer science education at all levels.
Why Computing Education Matters
Just 14 states and the District of Columbia allow computer science to count as a math or science graduation requirement, and the number of high schools offering AP Computer Science (CS) is down 35% since 2005. Lack of formal computing education in schools especially impacts girls because girls get fewer informal opportunities for computing experience outside of school. Additionally, lack of experience hinders interest in a CS major when students enter college.
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by 2020 there will be more than 1.4 million computing-related job openings. At current rates, however, we can only fill about 30% of those jobs with U.S. computing bachelor’s grads. American students need a 21st-century computing education if we want a workforce that is innovative, competitive, and well-employed.
Get more data about girls’ participation in computing from NCWIT’s Girls In IT: The Facts report.
Celebrate CSEdWeek with an Hour of Code
NCWIT is proud to partner with Code.org, an NCWIT K-12 Alliance member, in support of Hour of Code – an initiative for encouraging students (and adults) to try an hour of code, even if they have no prior experience or a computing device.
A variety of tutorials are available for learning different programming languages, making apps, and more. There are also resources for teaching an hour of code and inspiring students to try computer science.
Try an Hour of Code at http://code.org.
|
