BIGfish client Beaver Country Day School, Chestnut Hill’s independent school for grades 6-12, is implementing a coding requirement this year, meaning every student will know how to read and write code by graduation. Beaver is in the running to present this innovative program at SXSWedu 2014, a four-day event featuring  presentations from educators nationwide who are committed to engaging learners with modern tools and content. Votes from the general public are a large factor in determining programming, so Beaver needs your help! Click here to vote for Beaver’s “The Coded Curriculum” proposal now!  Cast your vote by clicking the thumbs up in the top left corner.

Our Future is Written in Code

According to Code.org, 1 million of the best jobs in America may go unfilled because only 1 in 10 schools teach students how to code. Our society’s insatiable hunger for everything digital can only be satisfied by computer scientists, yet we don’t have enough of them.

Organizations like Code.org and she++ emphasize the urgent need to break the stereotypes associated with computer science and to teach the next generation to code. Most students take their first computer science class in college where they’re already a step behind. This first class can be intimidating and sometimes prevents students from learning more about computer science.

Beaver Country Day School is addressing this issue and implementing action immediately. As a new graduation requirement, each and every student at Beaver will learn to code. Faculty and staff recognize that this knowledge will open incredible opportunities for their students. Beaver has trained teachers to integrate coding concepts into classes such as math, science and art and emphasize topics such as creative problem solving rather than language syntax.

Vote Now!

You can vote for Beaver to present at SXSWedu through September 6 by logging into the SXSW PanelPicker and giving Beaver’s “The Coded Curriculum” proposal a thumbs up! Beaver wants to use the national platform of SXSWedu to spread the word about the importance of coding and inspire teachers and schools around the country to implement similar programs. Beaver Country Day School and BIGfish appreciate your support in Beaver’s quest to present at SXSWedu. We’ll keep you posted when SXSW makes their decisions!

Check out this video to learn more about what the coded curriculum means for Beaver’s students.