For Immediate Release
INDIANAPOLIS (December 5, 2013) –Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum, is encouraging communities, schools, and businesses to participate in
Code.org’s “Hour of Code” movement during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-15. Participants need no prior knowledge or skill in computer science-related areas – they don’t even need a computer. The event is a one-hour introduction to computer science designed to “demystify computer science and encourage interest in the field.” By 2020, Code.org projects the existence of one million more computer science jobs than there are students currently studying to fill them. Yet, computer science is a top-paying college degree, and computer programming jobs are growing at two times the national average. PLTW’s entire staff, from marketing and finance team members to school support and curriculum writers, will take part in the event at the same time, working through self-guided tutorials on laptops, tablets, or smartphones. “Participating in the Hour of Code is a natural fit for Project Lead The Way,” said PLTW President and Chief Executive Officer Vince Bertram. “PLTW is piloting a new Computer Science and Software Engineering course in 60 schools this year, and it is important for our entire staff to understand coding and how it applies to numerous careers that PLTW students can pursue. Computer science is the fastest-growing career field, and we encourage students, teachers, parents, and community and business leaders to take an hour during Computer Science Education Week to learn what’s behind the apps, software, and data that are so quickly changing our world.” Computer Science Education Week is observed each year in recognition of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper with the goal of showing that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, or an inventor. Join Project Lead The Way staff, will.i.am, Bill Gates, NBA superstar Chris Bosh, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and
others in the Hour of Code movement. Links to self-guided tutorials, instructional videos, and more can be found at
www.csedweek.org.
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About PLTW Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is the nation’s leading provider of STEM programs. PLTW’s world-class, activity-, project-, and problem-based curriculum and high-quality teacher professional development model, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate partners, help students develop the skills needed to succeed in our global economy. More than 5,200 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit
www.pltw.org.
About Code.org Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to growing computer science education by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. We believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra. For more information, visit
www.code.org. For more information about the “Hour of Code,” visit
www.csedweek.org.
