Superintendent Kimberly Hill helped the White House kick off Computer Science Education Week today as a participant on an education panel.
“Charles County Public Schools is all in when it comes to computer science instruction,” Hill told a White House audience while explaining the success of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) partnership with Code.org. CCPS launched a multi-year partnership with Code.org in January that infuses computer science concepts into curriculum for students in grades kindergarten through 12. While more than 60 school districts across the nation have formed Code.org partnerships, CCPS is one of a few that offers computer science to all students in all grades.
Hill joined senior White House administration officials as well as other superintendents as part of the White House Computer Science Education Week Kickoff event. She sat on a panel of six, including other education and industry officials and narrated by Hadi Partovi, co-founder of Code.org. Panelists focused on a strong national commitment to expanding computer science education. Hill talked about Charles County’s ability to condense a five-year computer science implementation plan to one year after joining with Code.org, which helped train teachers and provided curriculum. Access to computer science is available to every student in every CCPS school, Hill said.
Science and Technology Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology John Holdren encouraged schools to provide the foundation that changes curiosity into skills that help propel our students from the middle to the top of international rankings in science and math.
That foundation, Hill said, can begin as early as age 4. Early exposure, she said, provides skill development, and most four-year olds are able to recognize logic and understand multi-step directions. “Why not bring them in and expose all of our kids,” Hill said, adding that starting at a young age helps level the playing field, especially among girls and other underrepresented groups.
In a video presentation, President Obama said becoming a computer scientist is not as scary as it sounds. “Don’t just consume things, create things,” the President said. “We are counting on you, America’s young people, to keep us on the cutting edge.”
This week, CCPS is celebrating Computer Science Week with special programs and participation in the Hour of Code, a one-hour introduction to computer science. Tutorials can be found on the Code.org website at http://code.org/learn.
Charles County Public Schools provides 26,500 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.