Hour of Code 2019 - our roundup!

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Date posted
2 January 2020
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6 Minutes

Hour of Code 2019 - our roundup!

Every year in December organisations and schools all around the world come together to learn computer science and change the world. 140,168 events registered in 2019, 1,987 in the United Kingdom. We were delighted to host a few of these ourselves at schools around Northern Ireland!

What is Hour of Code about?

The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. Now, it's a global phenomenon, participated in by hundreds of millions of pupils each year,

Here are some highlights from some of our local schools, volunteer Luke, and some snippets from the schools we partnered with!

Highlights!

Wow!! What a fantastic @CSEdWeek #HourOfCode session we had today with Janet @KainosSoftware ??�Thank you so much! We learnt lots & really enjoyed the @codeorg challenges! Great #TSPC on show! ?�� ?�? ?�??� ?�� ?�� ?�??� ?�� ?��#EveryoneCanCode #STEM @bitcni #StComgallsGotTalent ??? pic.twitter.com/55xEhJbQX3

? St Comgall's PS (@ComgallsBangor) December 10, 2019

/></figure> <h2>Luke's story </h2> <p>Luke, Software Engineer at Kainos, returned to his former school to deliver an Hour of Code session. Here's what he got out of the experience! </p> <blockquote ><p>'Hour of Code is a worldwide project that is devoted to bringing programming to school-age pupils around the globe. This year Kainos took part in this scheme and successfully delivered sessions to over 100 kids across Northern Ireland. I was very keen to get involved in the scheme and jumped at the chance to take one of the sessions at a local school in Belfast. </p></blockquote> <blockquote ><p>The students who took part were captivated by the course content and even worked for more than the allocated hour. This scheme and others like it are invaluable in supporting schools. Especially as the amount of technology we use day to day is increasing dramatically. </p></blockquote> <blockquote ><p>Outreach is an integral part of the Kainos experience and we cover a wide range of activities through this work; from helping primary school kids to make kazoos out of lollypop sticks to careers events in local schools where STEM, and in particular, Kainos Academy, is promoted.  Programmes such as these introduce schools, students and teachers to technology and helps to widen access to STEM education. </p></blockquote> <blockquote ><p>As Kainos grows so does our tech outreach ambitions, I have taken this opportunity to get more involved in events such as hour of code.</p></blockquote> <blockquote ><p>These programs have helped me to develop other skills that I may not get in my core role, in software development; skills such as presentation, confidence and communication. My skills are consistently improving as a result of my involvement. I am very pleased to be a part of it.</p></blockquote> <figure ><img src=https://hourofcode.com/uk