COMPUTER SCIENCE
Only 2% of students study computer programming. If we triple that, we'd close the gap between students and jobs.
We all know the U.S. is falling behind China and India in math and science, and we worry whether this will hurt our future. But the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on fixing this problem ignore the fastest-growing sector of innovation and job
growth: computer science. A motivated student who knows basic algebra needs only a few weeks to learn how to build a smartphone app or game — and could even earn her allowance from it. But the vast majority of us have absolutely no idea how to do this ourselves nor how to expose our kids to it. To remove this shroud, today Code.org has released a short film, starring Gates, Zuckerberg, will.i.am, Bosh, and the founders of Twitter, Dropbox, Zappos, and others, to motivate students to learn to code. The short film is directed by Lesley Chilcott, producer for An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting for 'Superman.' The message of the film is simple: Coding is easier than you might think and more fun than you might think.
It can change your life and help you change the world.
If you want to help solve this problem, share this film with your children, your colleagues and your friends. Surveys show that most students who watch this film are inspired to learn. We can help our nation's children find free courses on the Web, free iPad apps and nearby summer camps and after-school programs that teach this essential skill. But first,
we need them to know that it's important to their future. That's where you can help.
