Apple to offer free ‘Hour of Code’ workshops to inspire young programmers

By Trevor Mogg December 5, 2014

apple host free hour code workshops stores around world young coders — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hour of Code is back for its second year to introduce kids to the world of programming and hopefully inspire a few to take a long-term interest in the field.

A host of tech firms are once again getting involved in the initiative, which is run by Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding involvement in computer science by increasing accessibility in schools.

Apple, for one, is doing its bit to support Hour of Code, with special workshops taking place at its stores around the world on December 11. Other high-profile companies hoping to help demystify coding for the masses include Microsoft and Amazon.

Last year’s event saw a colossal 15 million students globally participating in Hour of Code events, though this year is expected to see even greater involvement with more than 66,000 workshops planned.

It’s all part of Code.org’s Computer Science Education Week, which kicks off on Monday. So if you live close to one of Apple’s big-city stores, you’ll be able to catch other related events besides Hour of Code, including talks from successful app developers and programmers on how they got started and how to get involved yourself. You can find out more about Apple’s featured events for Computer Science Education Week here.

Code.org co-founder Hadi Partovi said he hoped next week’s Hour of Code events will “spark a creative fire that students might otherwise never discover.”

Promoting the inaugural event last year, President Obama told students, “Don’t just buy a new video game, make one. Don’t just download the latest app, help design it. Don’t just play on your phone, program it.” So how about it?

[Hour of Code / Code.org]

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