In December of 2014, a four year old girl submitted a change to the Linux kernel that was actually accepted into the code. Although it’s easy to get caught up in struggles within the app ecosystem and obstacles faced by developers, this bit of news left the Application Developers Alliance inspired to discuss and contribute to the overall positivity computer programming can bring to individual developers and families alike. With efforts like the Hour of Code, a “global movement reaching tens of millions of students in 180+ countries,” and Computer Science Education Week sponsored and encouraged by President Obama, the opportunities for supporting early tech education are numerous.
This month, the Apps Alliance is celebrating and supporting the recent trend of increasing code literacy in children and young adults with our Developing for Good: Kids Who Code campaign.
Throughout the month, we’ll take a deep-dive into the early education of computer science and programming, the benefits of teaching children to code, and hear from experts on the subject. We asked our members and community to share their stories, and we’re excited to share them through guest blog posts and podcasts. By emphasizing a variety of perspectives, the Apps Alliance hopes to encourage and empower both parents and teachers to embrace this trend. Developing for Good: Kids Who Code will also include supplementary materials throughout the month, including case studies, podcasts, instructional videos, and other resources. Follow the campaign and share your stories with us on Twitter using #KidsWhoCode.
We invite you to participate by sharing with your colleagues, friends, and family. Please check back each week, as we’ll be updating this piece with the content we share throughout the campaign.
We also welcome your questions, thoughts, and concerns, which you are welcome to share in the comments below.
What We’re Sharing
Famigo on the Value of Coding Education – Podcast with Famigo COO, Matt McDonnell
Turtles in Space: Beyond learning to code – Guest Blog Post from Ajit Jaokar, founder of futuretext
Do Kids Want to Code? Let’s Ask – Student Testimonials from Code/Interactive
Posted by Erin Dame
Communications Manager
