Over 500 leaders within business, education, and nonprofits are calling on governors and education leaders to update K-12 in the US for “every student in every school to have the opportunity to learn computer science.” You can see the support within a public letter, providing reasonings for why computer science is a crucial subject for students to learn. Among the 500 people who support the initiative is Apple CEO Tim Cook.
At a time when every industry is impacted by digital technology, our schools should teach every student how technology works, to learn to be creators, not just consumers. Instead, this basic skill is taught only to the lucky few, leaving most students behind, especially young women and students of color.
Not only is Tim Cook an included signatory, but Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is as well. While Apple and Meta have gone head-to-head for some time, its most notable feud is over the iPhone maker’s App Tracking Transparency efforts. Finally, there is some common ground between the two tech giants. Additionally, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, and Marc Benioff are among the list of signatories.
The United States leads the world in technology, yet only 5% of our high school students study computer science. How is this acceptable? We invented the personal computer, the internet, and the smartphone. It is our responsibility to prepare the next generation for the new American Dream.
Tim Cook also took to Twitter to share his support for the initiative.
Coding is one of the most valuable skills a person can learn. It can open new doors, jumpstart carers, and help big dreams seem like achievable goals. Everyone around the world should have the opportunity to learn how to code.
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