Get started in computer science with an Hour of Code

What do you think of when you think of coding? Does it sound complex and scary? Have you always wanted to try coding your own computer game but are too intimidated?

What if you could just try it for an hour? If you can try it in an hour, maybe coding isn’t as challenging as you thought.

This week is Computer Science Education Week . And this year, Code.org is running the “Hour of Code.” It’s a set of short tutorials for beginning coders. There are many options, from writing your first computer program to building your own game . They are all very student-friendly, and some use images to help you understand the code. For example, writing your first computer program works by teaching an Angry Bird to navigate a maze . It seems simple, but really, it’s coding!

A lot of schools don’t have the space or money to teach computer science to middle and high school students. For those that don’t, and even those that do, Code.org offers teacher resources. Teachers can learn how to teach an hour of code to their students. They can partner with Code.org to bring computer science to their school district. There’s even a full curriculum guide.

The “Hour of Code” has some big names backing it up, like Mark Zuckerberg, one of the founders of Facebook, and Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft. They are hoping for 10 million students to do an hour of coding before the end of the week, and they are more than halfway there. And even after the week is over, Code.org will remain live. Anyone can get started and learn to code at any time. See if you can put in an “Hour of Code” this week, and learn what computer science is all about.

An hour of coding may be all it takes to spark an interest in computer science. Video: Code.org