The County College of Morris (CCM) Department of Information Technologies is offering a free “Hour of Code” session for those interested in learning the basics of computer programming.
Those interested in apps, web animation and game development will want to reserve their seat for the Hour of Code on Tuesday, December 8, at 7 p.m. in Emeriti Hall, Room 210, on CCM’s Randolph campus, 214 Center Grove Road. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome.
Initiated two years ago by Code.org, the Hour of Code is intended to expose students of all ages to the wonders and creativity of coding. More than 100,000,000 people worldwide have participated. The CCM event will offer three different sessions:
Android App Development
Web Animation
CodeCombat Game Development
Computer science experience is in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be 1 million more computing jobs than students in 2020. Currently, fewer than 2.4 percent of students nationwide graduate with a degree in computer science, which is down from a decade ago. Yet, computer science is a top paying field and computer programming jobs are growing at twice the rate of the national average.
“Hour of Code is a great initiative that operates under the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to learn computer science,” says Professor Nancy Binowski, IT chair at CCM. “Part of the goal is to expand access to underrepresented groups of students, something we at CCM have taken seriously with our Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiative.”
Reservations are required to attend the event, as seating is limited. Attendees can register at www.tinyurl.com/ccmHOCpublic. Those with questions can contact Binowski at nbinowski@ccm.edu or by calling 973-328-5780.
