The Hour of Code is here — and CSD students are ready.

Hour of Code is a global movement supported by teachers, school districts, celebrities, President Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates — even Young Pakistani activist Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai  — aimed at exposing students to computer coding and brighter futures.

During the week of Dec. 8-12, 2014, Canyons students in several schools will spend one hour learning computer coding. At Mount Jordan and Alta High schools, activities will include every student. At Alta, students will write code for an Angry Birds-like game and for student “robots.” Mount Jordan faculty have trained to help students with computer coding, and CTE teachers Melody Evans and Anthony Leavitt are challenging their students to complete all tutorials provided by the Hour of Code website.

“We are looking forward to dropping everything and coding for an hour,” Mount Jordan Principal Molly Hart says.

Activities also are planned at Brighton, Jordan, Hillcrest, and Corner Canyon high schools; the Canyons Technical Education Center; Indian Hills and Union middle schools; and Sprucewood and Draper elementary schools.

“Students are having a much greater exposure (thus expertise) to computer use at a younger age. By learning how to program, it helps students become creators of technology vs. only being users of technology,” CSD Career and Technical Education Director Janet Goble says. “We hope the Hour of Code will help break down barriers for students who think computer programming is only for students in high-level math courses or for boys. We want all students to feel confident that they can do it and work through problems. We encourage girls to participate in this non-threatening environment and gain the confidence that they, too, can enjoy and be good at programming.”

CSD students also are exposed to computer coding outside of the global initiative Hour of Code. CSD high schools offer Exploring Computer Science and Computer Programming 1. Hillcrest and Brighton high schools also offer Computer Programming 2, and CTEC offers more advanced work to help students move from high school to the high-tech workforce.