Public library receives funding to develop youth coding programs
The San Marcos Public Library announced that they have received $500 from the American Library Association (ALA) to help plan and implement coding activities during Computer Science Education (CS Ed) Week 2018 and beyond. The San Marcos Public Library is one of 250 school and public libraries around the country to receive this microfunding from Libraries Ready to Code, an initiative of the American Library Association sponsored by Google.
Diane Insley, library director said, “Coding teaches cognitive skills that improve children’s verbal and math abilities. Children gain valuable 21st century skills and may develop an interest that could lead to a computer-related career.”
“Libraries are the cornerstones of our communities,” said Google program manager Nicky Rigg. “We are proud to include the San Marcos Public Library in our CS Ed Week activities this year. We hope these libraries will join the growing number of libraries excited to offer CS programs that help youth create, problem solve and develop the confidence and skills to succeed in their future careers.”
“ALA is pleased to provide microfunding to the San Marcos Public Library and other Ready to Code libraries,” said ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo. “We hope this microfunding will not only generate enthusiasm for CS Ed Week, but spark year-round programming to develop critical thinking and digital skills youth can draw on over a lifetime.”
The 250 libraries selected for CS Ed Week funding will each host activities based on Google’s free CS First curriculum, which uses video-based instruction to introduce CS to kids through block-based coding. Libraries will pursue projects that reflect Ready to Code themes critical for advancing youth learning, especially for building computational thinking literacies. The Ready to Code team estimates that the CS Ed Week funding will support more than 60,000 youth all around the country taking part in coding activities throughout the week.
The Ready to Code event was held on the first day CS Ed week, Dec. 3, and was attended by children ages 8-14. For future coding events, visit the library's webpage.
