Wyoming Schools To Observe Computer Science Education Week

Students across Wyoming will get a taste of computer science during the week of Dec. 5-11, according to a spokeswoman for the Wyoming Department of Education.

Kari Eakins says that the Computer Science Education Week event will be a first for Wyoming schools.

Eakins says relatively few Wyoming students are taking Advanced Placement (AP) computer science courses or in her words "get too into computer science courses at the K-12 level." Eakins says computer science training opens that door for a lot of jobs, including an increasing number in the Cowboy State.

She notes Governor Matt Mead "has been working hard to grow our tech sector'' and says one of the goals of the week is to "get rid of any stigma" associated with computer science and to "demystify"  the subject so that more students will consider it as a career option.

She says educators hope that by using fun ways to introduce the subject to younger kids they will get more interested in computer science "and see that it is something they can be good at and maybe even enjoy doing."

Eakins says as part of Computer Science Education Week schools will be encouraged to take part in an education program called "Hour of Code."

She says that is a worldwide program that introduces kids to computer codes and related computer subjects. Eakins says around 100 million students worldwide take part in hour of code.

She adds Governor Mead will officially sign a proclamation on Dec. 5th declaring Computer Science Education Week in Wyoming.