Computer Science Education Week – December 6-12, 2024

U.S.

History
Timeline
FAQs
Importance
Observe
Related

Computer Science Education Week, or CSEd Week, is celebrated from December 6 to 12 this year. The largest learning event in history, Computer Science Education Week aims to get K-12 students interested in computer coding. During the second week in December, students are encouraged to take part in an “Hour of Code.” During this event, students are literally expected to code for an hour. Along with coding, Computer Science Education Week also highlights the importance of computer science. Computer science is an important subject because it teaches problem-solving and analytical skills, and is an essential skill in the modern job market, with many scholarships out there dedicated to this area of study. The day hopes to improve computer literacy among all.

History of Computer Science Education Week

Computing in the Core Coalition initiated the first Computer Science Education Week in 2009. Tech giants such as Google, Intel, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) came together to fund the special week. The week of December 6-12 was chosen in honor of Grace Hopper’s birthday. She was born on December 9, 1906, and is known as the pioneer of computer programming.

In 2013, Hadi Partovi, founder, and CEO of Code.org started the initiative called the “Hour of Code” in which over 15 million students across 167 countries participated. In 2015, the “Hour of Code” reached 100 million hours, making Computer Science Education Week the largest education campaign in history! Thanks to its widespread popularity and participation, the “Hour of Code” continues to be an event that still generates a lot of attention.

Computer coding is also known as programming. Codes are programs that tell the computer what to do by writing out instructions. Although a regular user might not see it, coding is everywhere. Any computer device, such as desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones uses coding. Coding is also essential in the creation of websites and apps. Computer coding also drives the most intelligent robots. Along with coding, this week also promotes the importance of computer science education. Computer science benefits society in countless ways. Its numerous applications mean that computer science also creates jobs. Research shows that the jobs in this field are expected to grow by 13% by 2026. This is much faster than all other occupations. For this reason alone, students are more likely to take computer science classes in higher education.

Computer Science Education Week timeline

1842–1849

Ada Lovelace Writes the First Code

This English mathematician and writer, writes code on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine.

1940s

Modern Computers

The first recognizably modern electrically powered computers are created.

1954

FORTRAN Created

FORTRAN, a general-purpose programming language, is invented at IBM by a team led by John Backus.

1995

JAVA Written

JAVA, a high-level programming language, is developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems.

Computer Science Education Week FAQs

How many schools in the USA offer computer science?

Only 45% of U.S. schools offer computer science (CS) courses.

Where can I get free computer science education?

This year, as part of Code with Google’s portfolio of CS education programs, Code Next is expanding. Launched in 2015, Code Next offers free CS education with a focus on Black and Latinx high school students.

Why is the “Hour of Code” important?

Computer science education nurtures problem-solving skills and creativity. The goal of the Hour of Code is to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. Since Code.org was launched in 2013, over 100 million students have participated in 200,000 code.org events worldwide.

How to Observe Computer Science Education Week

Encourage students to join the “Hour of Code”
More than 200,000 “Hour of Code” events are held during this week in over 180 countries. Encourage students to engage in the “Hour of Code” event during Computer Science Education Week.
Learn to code
You can even teach yourself to code. The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out what computer programming language you want to use. Some of these include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Learn to code by book, take an online course, or use an interactive tutorial.
Post on social media
Don’t forget to share this educational week on social media with #ComputerScienceEducationWeek or #CSEdWeekDon’t forget to share this educational week on social media with #ComputerScienceEducationWeek or #CSEdWeek. You can even give a shout-out to your program and computer engineer friends.

5 Facts About Coding And Programming That Will Blow Your Mind

There are around 700 programming languages
Some of the most popular languages are JavaScript, Swift, Scala, Python, PHP, Go, Rust, Ruby, and C++.
Applications in all fields
Coding is used for communicating with computers — so it enables anyone from any field to operate efficiently on computers.
Viruses figured out before computers were built
German mathematician, John von Neumann, first theorized the concept in the late 1940s.
Young hackers
The first released computer virus, Elk Cloner, was written by a 15-year-old. It infected Apple II computers.
NASA still uses programs from the 1970s
NASA chooses not to write new code or design new programs, as it would be expensive, so if it still works, they use it.

Why Computer Science Education Week is Important

Computers are everywhere
Almost everything that we use today is powered by a computer in some way. This week recognizes the integral role that computers play in modern life.
It highlights a life-skill
In today’s day and age, it’s important to know how to work with a computer. At the very basic level, we all use laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Adequate information on how to use these devices optimally can make life so much easier and provide career opportunities.
It creates job awareness
As we learned earlier, jobs related to computers are growing at an incredible speed. Participating in Computer Science Education Week can help you find a job you like or give you an edge in your current position.