News Release
| For Immediate Release: | December 3, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Contact: | Ofirah Yheskel, Office of the Governor |
Northam Administration Kicks Off Computer Science Education Week in Virginia
Governor and First Lady Northam, administration officials will participate in events across the Commonwealth to promote computer science education and highlight the wide range of applications and career pathways in this field
RICHMOND—Proclaiming December 3–9, 2018 as Computer Science Education Week in Virginia
, today Governor Ralph Northam will join First Lady Pamela Northam and administration officials to kick off a series of events designed to encourage students of all ages to get interested in computer science, and expand opportunities for computer science education in all parts of the Commonwealth. Computer Science Education Week is a national initiative dedicated to increasing awareness of the transformative role of computing and the need to strengthen computer science education at all levels.
“As one of the fastest growing industries in Virginia, computer science is at the core of virtually all sectors of our economy,” said Governor Northam. “My administration is determined to make sure that Virginia students have exposure to computer science courses at every grade level, and I look forward to traveling the Commonwealth this week to highlight computer science and the role it plays in related disciplines like education, technology, and space exploration.”
The theme of this year’s Virginia Computer Science Education Week launch is “Mission Possible: Cybersecurity,” in recognition of Virginia’s importance to the information security industry and to safeguarding our national security.
“This week is not just an exciting time for students, but for teachers as well,” said Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. “Learning activities like coding are a great introduction into computer science for learners of all ages. Having fun and meaningful exposure to and experiences with computer science is critical for all students as they consider their future careers.”
Virginia is the first state in the nation to adopt computer science and computational thinking, to include coding, as a core subject for all students. As part of Computer Science Education Week, Governor Northam and administration officials are encouraging school districts, teachers, and students to explore coding by taking part in “hour of code” programs.
Computing is the number one source of all new wages in the United States. Virginia has the third highest concentration of technology workers of any state in the country, and ranks first for total number of computer science jobs.
Governor and First Lady Northam will participate in the following events during Computer Science Education Week. For more information on Virginia Computer Science Education Week activities, click here.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 3
10:30 AM |
Governor and First Lady Northam to kick off Virginia Computer Science Education Week Science Museum of Virginia Gottwald Center 2500 West Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23220
Note: Event begins at 10:00 AM, prior to the arrival of the Governor and First Lady. Event will be streamed live at www.CSforVA.org. |
1:30 PM |
Governor Northam to participate in Virginia Computer Science Education Week roundtable with Loudoun County educators Moorefield Station Elementary School 22325 Moorefield Parkway Ashburn, Virginia 20148
Note: Governor Northam will visit classrooms for “Hour of Code” activities following roundtable discussion. |
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4
11:00 AM |
Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event with students from Danville City Public Schools Institute for Advanced Learning and Research 150 Slayton Avenue Danville, Virginia 24540
Note: Governor Northam will tour computer science activities with agricultural applications following his remarks. |
1:30 PM |
Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on science curriculum integration North Fork Middle School 57 Caverns Road Quicksburg, Virginia 22847 |
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5
11:00 AM |
Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on drones Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center One Partnership Circle Abingdon, Virginia 24210
Note: Governor Northam will participate in drone demonstration with students following his remarks. |
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6
9:00 AM |
First Lady Pamela Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event East Salem Elementary School 1765 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, Virginia 24153
Note: First Lady Northam will visit classrooms and participate in robotics and unplugged coding activities following her remarks. |
1:30 PM |
Governor Northam to participate in Virginia Computer Science Education Week roundtable on computer science learning opportunities Albert Hill Middle School 3400 Patterson Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23221 |
3:00 PM |
Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on computer science career pathways in higher education Virginia State University One Hayden Street Petersburg, Virginia 23806 |
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7
2:00 PM |
Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on computer science applications in space NASA Langley Research Center, Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility One NASA Drive Hampton, Virginia 23666 |
###