Starting tomorrow, nearly 400 students aged 8 to 18 will have the opportunity to participate in free coding events at tech-based organizations throughout B.C. to help raise awareness for computer science education, thanks to support from the Government of B.C.

In partnership with B.C. teachers through Computer Using Educators of British Columbia (CUEBC), UBC Okanagan and private sector organizations, government is proud to sponsor four free Hour of Code events that will introduce students to coding. Coding is becoming an essential skill in today’s work-force, and software development is one of the most in-demand skills of the 21st century.

Coding is the part of computer programming that makes it possible for users to create computer software, apps, and websites like Facebook.

Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in over 180 countries. One-hour tutorials will be available for students in over 40 languages and participants will range in age from 4 to 104. 

Here in B.C., free coding events will be held in Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George and Kelowna.

• Vancouver – Dec. 5, 2015 – Lighthouse Labs
• Victoria – Dec. 12, 2015 – MetaLab
• Prince George – Dec. 12, 2015 – Innovation Central Society
• Kelowna – Jan. 23, 2016 – UBC Okanagan Innovative Learning Centre

B.C.’s technology sector is growing faster than the overall economy and it directly employs over 86,000 people in every corner of the province and wages for those jobs are 60% higher than B.C.’s industrial average.

Government provided $33,500 to B.C. Hour of Code events this year. $16,000 of that contribution is targeted towards events and the remainder is for the development of an online Teachers' Guide to Coding.

Over the next three years new K-12 curriculum is being phased in with new standards in mathematics, sciences and applied design, skills and technology. It supports opportunities to learn coding, so students can develop the problem-solving and creative thinking skills they need for success in B.C.’s tech sector.

In partnership with the BC Innovation Council, British Columbia is hosting its first #BCTECH Summit, Jan. 18 – 19, 2016. The Summit will showcase our tech industry and includes a Career showcase to provide B.C. students and recent graduates with even more opportunities to get involved in B.C.’s rapidly growing tech sector. To register or learn more, go to: http://bctechsummit.ca/

Quotes:

Mike Bernier, Minister of Education –

“B.C.’s rapidly growing tech sector is recognized as one of the strongest sectors in the country. The Province is committed to providing more opportunities for B.C. students to learn how to code – inside and outside the classroom. Learning how to code provides great career opportunities for students and helps build B.C.’s tech sector and economy.”

Jon Hamlin, VP, Computer Using Educators of BC (CUEBC), a Provincial Specialist Association of the British Columbia Teachers’ Association (BCTF) -

“CUEBC is proud to be a part of Codecreate this year and the Hour of Code for the second year in a row as we bring coding opportunities to teachers and students across British Columbia. Computer programming skills have become ubiquitous across almost every industry. These are highly valued skills that we believe should become a fundamental educational component for all B.C. students. We encourage teachers and students from any grade level, regardless of technology access, to get involved with this exciting Hour of Code opportunity and attend a Codecreate event in their community where available.”

Melody Ma, B.C. Hour of Code organizer –

“I really enjoy my career in technology, even though I didn’t learn how to code until last year – a decade since graduating from high school. My new found skills have opened a world of possibilities for me. By organizing the Codecreate events and highlighting the Hour of Code campaign in B.C., I hope many more students of all ages, gender and backgrounds in this province will get exposed to coding and computer science early on in their education.”

Quick Facts:

• BC Teachers’ Federation’s Provincial Specialist Association, the Computer Using Educators of BC (CUEBC), are supporters and participants at Codecreate and the Hour of Code campaign.
• Of the 124,734 Hour of Code events around the world,  (hourofcode.com) 3,876 of those will be in Canada (hourofcode.com) , 563 will be in B.C. 
• In 2013, B.C. had over 9000 technology companies that generated $23.3 billion in revenue.
• New technology companies are emerging at increasing rates around the province. In 2013, there was an addition of over 700 new technology companies in British Columbia, an increase of 8% over the prior year.
• The B.C. technology industry is heavily export focused. B.C. Stats recorded exports topping $1 billion in 2014 for technology products. A recent industry survey projects total technology exports, which would include services, to be greater than $7 billion.

Learn More:

Codecreate:  http://codecreate.ca/

Hour of Code: https://hourofcode.com/ca

Lighthouse Labs: http://www.lighthouselabs.ca/

Metalab: http://metalab.co/

CUEBC: http://cuebc.ca

Innovation Central Society: http://www.innovationcentral.ca

UBC Okanagan Innovative Learning Centre: http://innovativelearningcentre.ca/

B.C.’s new curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/

BC's Education Plan: http://www.bcedplan.ca/