Starting today, applications are open to middle and high school teachers from all backgrounds and subjects to apply to our Professional Learning Program. Best of all, no previous computer science experience is necessary and many workshops are being held virtually!

Please note: These workshops are only available for U.S.-based teachers. For all other teachers, we recommend reviewing this article, which outlines the supports available to you.

The program for middle and high school teachers is hosted by our Regional Partners across the country, and is designed to prepare teachers before and during their first year teaching CS Discoveries or CS Principles. …

It might be an understatement to say 2020 was an unprecedented year. Teachers, students and parents dealt with all the uncertainties that came with school closures and a quick transition to virtual or hybrid learning. But through it all, Hour of Code 2020 was an incredible success thanks to our resilient computer science community and the generosity and support of our many partners.

It may have looked different than other years, but Hour of Code 2020 was still a smashing success, with more than 68,000 events registered across more than 180 countries! Over 1.1 billion students around the world have now tried an Hour of Code since Code.org’s …

We just received AP Computer Science exam results for the nation, and among Code.org students. The most growth once again comes from young women!

The data from the College Board shows that the number of AP CS exams* (AP CS A and AP CS Principles exams combined) taken in the US saw 13% growth, while AP tests in every other STEM subject decreased. Just like in previous years, the number of young women taking AP CS exams is growing even faster.

In 2020, female students accounted for 31% of all AP CS test-takers (54,918), while students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups** accounted for 22% of all test-takers (39,445). …

The Hour of Code has arrived

In a year that’s been unlike any other, this year’s Hour of Code will be unlike any other, too. Despite the upheaval of school closures and many classrooms going remote this year, tens of thousands of you took a Code Break to learn from guests like Bill Gates or Yara Shahidi, more than 8 million new students joined Code.org to begin learning computer science, and as we kick off Computer Science Education Week today, many of you will be joining us for a CodeByte.

Whether you’re at home or in the classroom, anyone can host or participate in an Hour of Code — and it’s not too late to get started! …

Turkey has the second-most Code.org users in the world, after the United States. Here’s how Robin Code did it!

He’s only in 8th grade, but Can Torungil already has a certification from Cisco Networking Academy and several computer science credentials from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. A student at Uskudar SEV Middle School in Istanbul, Turkey, his introduction to coding came in 2014 during the Hour of Code, and he immediately loved the experience of solving problems.

Since then, Can has gone on to taking further coding lessons at a Turkish nonprofit organization called Robin Code and is now the team captain of the robotics club at his school. What Can likes most about coding is that if he wants something to happen, he can actually do it by creating a game or an app. …

Microsoft and Code.org are excited to announce a partnership that gives every student from elementary school to high school the opportunity to learn about artificial intelligence (AI).

At a time when AI and machine learning are changing the very fabric of society and transforming entire industries, it is more important than ever to give every student the opportunity to not only learn how these technologies work, but also to think critically about the ethical and societal impacts of AI.

AI is used everywhere, from voice assistants to self-driving cars, and it’s rapidly becoming the most important technological innovation of current times. AI has the potential to play a major role in addressing global problems, such as detecting and curing diseases, cleaning oceans, eliminating poverty, or harnessing clean energy. …

The Hour of Code is a month away and we’re excited to announce 115 brand-new tutorials and lesson plans! Many activities were created to support various classroom models, from fully remote, to hybrid, to in-person learning. There is something for everyone—and every classroom—this year!

Introducing CodeBytes: New mini-lessons for virtual classrooms

We hope everyone can join us this year for CodeBytes, our brand new series of easy-to-digest, 20 minute interactive lessons will stream twice daily during Computer Science Education Week, Monday through Friday, December 7–11. If you’re planning for a classroom that’s gone fully virtual, CodeBytes are designed to fit smoothly into a distance learning plan.

Whether students have a computer or a smartphone, they can interact with and tune-in to every episode. Plus, episodes are tailored to grade levels ranging from K-12. Every lesson is hosted by Code.org staff and blends computer science with real-world topics, including artificial intelligence and #CSforGood. …

Note: In an effort to better identify who does and does not have access to computer science, we’re collecting and digging deeper into intersectional* data about students on Code.org and in computer science generally. See here for the full data report, which focuses on computer science participation from male and female students who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Latina; African American or Black; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and Native American or Alaskan.

When it comes to who has access and who studies computer science, one statistic doesn’t tell the full story.

The computer science community knows that in order to close gaps, we need to be able to identify them. At Code.org, we have historically tracked participation by young women and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (URG**), and this has allowed us to see the overall positive impact of the community’s collective efforts in broad strokes. …