Computer Science Education Week
By Rachel Ware
December 5, 2022 is the kickoff of Computer Science Education Week (CSEDWeek), a time to celebrate computer science education, advocate for equity in the field, and/or host a learning event. A bit of history: the week started in 2009 with the involvement of many computing organizations and led by ACM, in response to declining enrollments in computer science. CSEDWeek is during the week of December 9 because Grace Hopper (the inventor of the first compiler and the idea of a “bug” after finding a moth in a computer) was born on December 9, 1906. The Computing of the Core coalition took over leadership of the week in 2010 and expanded the focus from policy to include teachers and students in K-12 and higher education. In 2013 the theme was the Hour of Code run by Code.org, and it has continued to be a key part of CSEDWeek since. In 2020 the Computer Science Teachers Association’s (CSTA) took over coordinating with continuing partnerships to run this now worldwide celebration. The theme for 2022 is celebrating the progress of the last ten years and looking forward to further advancements for every student to have opportunities to learn computer science.
There are many ways to get involved. Teachers can host an Hour of Code and learn equitable computer science teaching practices through the many resources on the CSEDWeek website and from the Kapor Center. Students can participate in the Hour of Code in school or try the tutorials directly from the Hour of Code website. Even if you are not a student I recommend you check it out. I had some fun trying out a couple and there are free activities for all ages with directions that you can share with your family and community. If you believe students should have the opportunity to learn computer science and have equitable classes and resources, check out the advocacy ideas or see what computer science education looks like in your state here. However you want to get involved, take a look at the website csedweek.org and get ready to celebrate December 5-11.
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