Students at James S. Hogg Elementary have earned new technological tools to take their computer science skills to the next level.
Code.org will present this annual award, which is given to one school in Texas that is committed to computer science student engagement, on Dec. 7. Principal Jairo Casco will use the $10,000 award to give the school a technology makeover. The event coincides with the official kickoff of Computer Science Education Week that is happening Dec. 7-13.
“The $10,000 award will help us equip our students with the 21st-century skills that are necessary to succeed in school and beyond,” Casco said. “We are very thankful to Code.org for supporting our students and preparing them for success.”
Honored guests at Monday’s ceremony will include State Representative Roberto Alonzo; Eleno Ornelas, Spanish radio narrator for the Texas Rangers; various Dallas ISD leaders; as well as award sponsor representatives from Goldmachs Sachs and Accenture.
Students at the school will get a chance to participate in The Hour of Code Campaign – a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180-plus countries. The campaign is dedicated to making computer science learning a much friendlier and welcoming experience for all students across demographics.
Computers are everywhere, but fewer schools teach computer science now than they did ten years ago. Girls and minorities are severely underrepresented.
The Hour of Code Campaign has brought computer science to the homepages of Google, MSN, Yahoo, and Disney. More than 100 industry partners support this movement including Apple, who hosted an Hour of Code event at every Apple Store across the globe. In addition, the campaign has been endorsed by President Barack Obama, who wrote his first line of code last year.