{"id":68783,"date":"2018-12-13T17:06:42","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T17:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=429582"},"modified":"2018-12-13T17:06:42","modified_gmt":"2018-12-13T17:06:42","slug":"highlights-from-microsoft-computer-science-education-week-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2018\/12\/13\/highlights-from-microsoft-computer-science-education-week-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights from Microsoft Computer Science Education Week 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Teacher<\/a>
A Microsoft Fargo volunteer helps a student at an Hour of Code event at Northern Cass Elementary School in Hunter, North Dakota. Photo credit: Dennis Krull.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last week, people around the world celebrated Computer Science Education Week. Millions of kids\u00a0participated\u00a0in an Hour of Code<\/a>, a global call to action to spend an hour learning the basics of coding.<\/p>\n

At Microsoft we know that computer science\u00a0is\u00a0more than just\u00a0\u201ccoding.\u201d\u00a0It\u00a0is a\u00a0way to think, and a\u00a0tool for creation. It\u00a0enables\u00a0people\u00a0to do, build\u00a0and invent. Importantly, it\u00a0also\u00a0puts\u00a0youth\u00a0on the path\u00a0for success as they enter the\u00a0workforce. In the U.S. alone, over 500,000 computing jobs, across all industries, remain unfilled because employers cannot find qualified candidates. Digital skills, especially computer science and coding, are a foundation of our future jobs market and economy.<\/p>\n

We are inspired by the educators and volunteers across the globe who have brought computer science into their schools, including volunteers<\/a> from the Microsoft Philanthropies program, Technology Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS<\/a>).\u00a0But we\u00a0all\u00a0need to do more\u00a0so that\u00a0all K-12 students are getting computer science education \u2013 in particular, we need to increase the number of teachers\u00a0who are trained to bring computer science to their\u00a0students.<\/p>\n

To address this gap, Microsoft President Brad Smith announced last week that we have committed an additional $10 million<\/a> to help Code.org ensure that by 2020, teachers in every school have access to Code.org professional development, and that every state will have passed policies to expand access to computer science.<\/p>\n

Code.org is one of the world\u2019s leading nonprofits helping to expand access to computer science education. Its annual Hour of Code campaign has engaged 10 percent of students around the world, thanks in part to\u00a0collaboration with Microsoft\u00a0on three different Minecraft adventures for the Hour of Code<\/a>; and Code.org\u2019s\u00a0professional development resources\u202fhave\u202fhelped\u202f87,000 new teachers\u202flearn\u202fcomputer science across grades K-12.<\/p>\n

\"Jake<\/a>
From left, Jake Baskin, of the Computer Science Teachers Association, Microsoft President Brad Smith, Melinda Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Hadi Partovi of Code.org Photo credit: Code.org.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since 2013, when Code.org\u2019s Advocacy Coalition<\/a>\u00a0began its work with key partners such as Microsoft\u00a0\u2013 its founding supporter and largest corporate sponsor<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the number of states that have made computer science count toward high school graduation has gone from nine to 40.\u00a0Our renewed commitment to Code.org\u00a0will help build on this great work over the next three years and into the future.<\/p>\n

But our news didn\u2019t stop there:\u00a0Last week we saw\u00a0thousands of students,\u00a0educators, and professionals\u00a0participating in\u00a0computer science\u00a0celebrations\u00a0together\u00a0with Microsoft\u00a0across the globe:<\/p>\n