Computer science is the defining field of the 21st century, yet most schools don’t teach it. This week, classrooms across the globe will celebrate Computer Science Education Week (December 5-11) and Hour of Code, a global movement reaching over 100 million students of diverse backgrounds in 180+ countries to help broaden participation in computer science and promote diversity in tech.
Speak with local schools in your community to understand if and how they are celebrating Hour of Code. Encourage those who are not participating to get involved next year. While Hour of Code is officially celebrated this week, events happen all year long and volunteers are needed to present in classrooms in-person or virtually!
For example, through Code.org’s local volunteer search, educators can locate engineers in their area willing to donate their time to educate and inspire students interested in computer science. Through the local volunteer search, Tejaswi Billa-Koti, Senior Software Engineer in Symantec’s Norton Business Unit, recently met with high school students at California’s San Pedro High School to answer questions about the profession, address common misconceptions and for many, help excite them about the opportunities that a college degree in the subject can bring.
Get started with Hour of Code’s volunteer toolkit which includes an on-demand training and register to be a guest speaker here.
Hour of Code Students at San Pedro High School in California where Symantec employee Tejaswi Billa-Koti, Senior Software Engineer, Norton Business Unit recently visited the school to inspire and educate students interested in a future in computer science.