Computer Science Education Week started today, December 5th and goes through Sunday, December 11th. First Second/Macmillan Publishers are celebrating by sharing some important facts and introducing readers to Gene Luen Yang's Secret Coder Series.
Here are some facts, from Hour of Code, about computer education in schools:
The majority of schools don't teach computer science -- 90% of parents want their kids to study computer science, but only 40% of schools teach it.
15% of households in the US don't have a computer. So if the kids in those households overlap with the 60% of schools around the country that don't teach computer science, they won't have any access to computers or learn about them in school.
There are fewer students in the US graduating with a degree in computer science than there were ten years ago -- and half as many women.
Computer science majors can earn 40% more than the average college graduate.
Computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the US; there are more than 500,000 open jobs in computers right now (in every state around the country), and these jobs are projected to grow at twice the rate of all other jobs.
Computer science only counts towards graduating in 32 states.
For more information about Gene Yang's Secret Coder Series, click here.
Secret Coders (Secret Coders #1)
by Gene Leun Yang; Illustrations by Mike Holmes
First Second (September 2015)
Audience: Ages 8-12 years old
Fiction * Comics & Graphic Novels
About the book:
Welcome to Stately Academy, a school which is just crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend Eni are going to solve the mystery of Stately Academy no matter what it takes!
From graphic novel superstar (and high school computer programming teacher) Gene Luen Yang comes a wildly entertaining new series that combines logic puzzles and basic programming instruction with a page-turning mystery plot!
Paths & Portals (Secret Coders #2)
by Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes
First Second (August 2016)
Audience: Ages 8 to 12 years old
Fiction * Comics & Graphic Novels
Keep an eye out for Book #3: Secrets and Sequences coming in March of 2017.
To win a set of Secret Coders Books 1 & 2. Complete the Rafflecopter below. All participants must be 13 years or older and have a US mailing address. Thank you to First Second for hosting the giveaway.