Why host a Family Code Night?
Hosting a Family Code Night is a great way to:
Acquaint students with key computer science concepts
Expose students to computer career pathways
Increase family engagement
Enlighten families about the nature and need for computer science
Have fun
At the heart of this project are the puzzles from Code.org®. These puzzles are fun, child friendly, yet educational. The puzzles expose students to computer career pathways and demonstrate how computing empowers them to create not just consume with technology. Students discover that:
Computing empowers you to solve problems that mean something to you
Computing is significant in today’s world
Computing is not just for nerds; computer professionals come from all genders, races, and economic backgrounds
Family Code Nights wrap activities around Code.org® puzzles to make them valuable experiences for the community. With the free Family Code Night kit, no coding experience is required to organize or present. If practical, the hosting site provides devices. If not, parents bring their own devices. Families receive a Code at Home flyer with directions for additional activities that families can use to code together on their own time if they wish. You may provide refreshments at your event, but this is optional.
Family engagement is vital in computer science education. Parental attitudes are crucial to elementary school students’ beliefs about themselves. Elementary school is when students’ beliefs begin to harden. In computer science, females, African-Americans, and Hispanics are significantly underrepresented. To combat stereotypes and promote diversity, we need to reach children before fourth grade. At Family Code Nights, families discover that coding is within reach. Their personal success is the best means to alter perceptions. Through Family Code Night experiences, parents discover that:
Computing allows you to be creative
Computer science teaches foundational 21st Century Skills, including, problem-solving, collaboration and innovation
Computer science provides a career path that is both lucrative and in high-demand
Get started by downloading the Family Code Night kit.