BOISE, Idaho — Kids are learning to code as computer science becomes one of the most in-demand college degrees across the country.
Locally, kids at Riverside Elementary School learned the in-and-outs of the coding craft Tuesday morning as part of Computer Science Education Week in Idaho.
“The kids all engaged in computer coding,” Idaho STEM Action Center Executive Director Caty Solace said. “We had a very basic program that they could engage in, elementary school level but this leads up to the kind of coding they could do in a career someday.”
All of the students at Riverside Elementary School participated in an Hour of Code.
“The more that we can do to prepare our young kiddos for jobs of the future like think about micron that’s making such a big investment here, the better off we are,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said.
According to the Idaho STEM Action Center, more than 60,000 Hour of Code events are planned this year. That includes over 14,500 in the U.S. and at least 137 in Idaho
“As I was doing it, we had two options. We could either do Minecraft or star wars. I picked Minecraft because that’s the best game in the world,” student Tate Aragón said.
Volunteers from different companies across the state that use different forms of coding daily showed the kids some of the different ways they could use code when they are older since careers in stem fields are continuing to grow
“The reason that’s so important is all of those employees across the valley, they need these skills in their future employees so these students are learning today, what they can use tomorrow in the world of work,” Solace said.
