Hour of Code is a global movement reaching students in over 180 countries by providing activities in over 48 languages to celebrate computer science, provide opportunities for students to discover that computer science is fun and creative, and demonstrate that computer science is accessible for all students, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic group. Over 100 million students worldwide have participated in Hour of Code since 2014.

The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) is a Code.org Regional Partner and has been instrumental in promoting computer science education in area schools. During this year’s Computer Science Education Week, December 3-7, 2018, RUSMP hosted in partnership with Code.org and area schools Hour of Code events. A few of these events are highlighted below.

Carolyn White, RUSMP’s Director of Elementary Programs, launched an Hour of Code event for Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) Burrus Elementary School students with challenging activities from a multitude of learning activities offered by Code.org. She invited Houston City Council Member Karla Cisneros to participate. Council Member Cisneros is a passionate supporter of public education and spoke with students about the importance of computing and pursuing careers in computer science. HISD’s Adrian Acosta encouraged students to explore the multitude of Blocks and Scratch activities on the Code.org website.

Anne Papakonstantinou, RUSMP’s Director, and Richard Parr, RUSMP’s Executive Director, participated in the Hour of Code event at HISD’s The Rice School/La Escuela Rice. This event kicked off twelve days of coding at the school. HISD’s Raul Alanis also participated in the event which was organized by Toni Hill-Kennedy, assistant principal and STEM coordinator. Andrew Kennedy and Huifang Zhang of Bluware, a technology company that supports digital transformation initiatives, spoke to students about coding and led students in coding activities.

Susan Troutman, RUSMP Director of Secondary Programs, and Shaina Glass, Aldine Independent School District (AISD) Computer Science/STEM Coordinator and RUSMP Code.org Facilitator, planned the Hour of Code events for students in AISD. Groups of students from all of the AISD middle schools facilitated Hour of Code activities for elementary students. Middle school students also explored coding through Code.org’s Transformation Puzzles and The Coordinate Plane. A group of elementary students also explored coding with Sphero robots at the Woodland’s Apple Store and participated in an interactive coding event at the Woodland’s Microsoft Store.

Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston, and the Harris County Commissioners Court honored the events with proclamations declaring December 3-7, 2018 as Computer Science Education Week. Mayor Turner commended RUSMP and Code.org for sharing the City of Houston’s vision of offering opportunity for all; celebrating diversity of people, ideas, economy, culture and places; and promoting resilient communities through education. In their proclamation, Harris County Commissioners Court encouraged all residents of Harris County to celebrate Computer Science Education Week by participating in Hour of Code.

The Hour of Code activities, designed to demystify coding, are nurturing problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity and are creating a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path.