Dive Brief:
- President Obama issued a video message Monday in support of Computer Science Education Week 2014 and the second-annual Hour of Code campaign.
- A White House event taking place Monday from noon to 2:30 p.m. EST will feature tech companies, philanthropists, non-profits, students, and teachers, with a live stream expected on WhiteHouse.gov.
- Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are also expected to meet with 30 middle school students from Newark, NJ, who will participate in their own "Hour of Code" at the White House.
Dive Insight:
The live-streamed event will utilize the #CSEDWeek and #HourOfCode hashtags on social media, but there's even more to be expected as the week rolls on. As we previously reported, Apple Stores will offer free workshops to students on Thursday, Dec. 11. Additionally, 76,000 classrooms have pledged to offer an hour of coding education this week, with activities like this Frozen-themed Code.org tutorial available in over 30 languages. The aforementioned Newark students will also be accompanied on a tour of Washington, DC, by Code.org Founder Hadi Partovi, and Hour of Code ambassadors including tech's biggest names, celebrities, and other role models will engage in video chats with 100 classrooms nationwide via Code.org's YouTube channel.
Needless to say, it's a huge push in line with the current focus on STEM education and high-need tech job fields.
