Take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine that you are in the year 1993– a faraway place where the band Nirvana was topping the charts, the Toronto Blue Jays were the winners of the World Series, Bill Clinton had just been elected, and coding a computer was absolutely necessary. Lucky for us, technology has come a long way in the last few decades. Thankfully, we don’t have to go through this grueling programming process today in order to create something as simple as a website. However, computer coding and programming is still of significant importance today; it is just much easier to accomplish. The vast world of computer science is rapidly growing, and an organization known as Hour of Code is contributing to its growth.
The Hour of Code is a global corporation used to introduce students to the vast world of computer science and all that it implies. It takes place during Computer Science Education Week, reaching a myriad of students around the world. What separates this campaign from any other is the fact that The Hour of Code is an introduction to computer science that only takes place for only a single hour. In just 60 short minutes, students are exposed to a whole new world involving computer coding and programming. This organization’s main goal is to show the fact that anyone can learn the fundamentals of coding as well as to spread international awareness and involvement in computer science.
Since Hour of Code began, it has reached people in over 180 countries and millions upon millions of students worldwide. The Hour of Code activities not only educate students on the wide range of professions in the field of computer sciences, but they also strengthen the ability to solve problems, use logic, and inspire students to follow the computer sciences pathway.
George Washington Carver Freshman Campus (GWCFC) was one of the many schools that participated in this event. Hour of Code introduces students to interactive coding activities such as Minecraft, Combat, etc. One GWCFC student, Katie Toth, has participated in Hour of Code in the past and stated that “… it was very informational as well as inspirational”.
Let’s face it: someone can’t become a coding expert in just one brief hour, but the Hour of Code’s purpose is much deeper than that. The idea is to instill a passion for computer programming and to reveal the fact that anyone that wants to excel in computer sciences can do it.
Knowledge in the field of computer science will always come in handy, and Hour of Code is a sure-fire way to help be ahead of the game. It may not be 1993 anymore, and technology certainly continues to advance each day. However, computer programming is going to be around for the long haul.
– Submitted by Avery Anderson, student at George Washington Carver Freshman Campus