MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HISPANIC HERITAGE FOUNDATION TO HOST LOFT COMPUTER CODING JAM SESSION AT WHEATON HIGH SCHOOL

 Education   Mon, March 24, 2014 07:03 AM
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WHEATON, MD – Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) will host a host LOFT Coding Jam Session at Wheaton High School on at 1:00 p.m., Monday, March 24, 2014, in an effort to introduce minority youth to computer coding as a bridge to career paths in technology fields to fill the skills gap in America.  The free, bilingual Jam Session will instruct minority youth on how to code using Code.org’s curriculum with hip-hop, jazz and salsa music playing in the background.  During the program, MCPS will also announce a broader partnership with Code.org to bring its curriculum and professional development with 10 MCPS high schools beginning 2015.  Nancy Navarro and other Montgomery County leaders will attend and provide remarks in support of the effort.

“Driving this effort is the belief that all young people throughout our communities deserve access to technology-based programs and trainings,” said Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of HHF. “As a Montgomery County resident, I’m thrilled to partner with MCPS, Nancy Navarro and Code.org to inspire and equip minority youth to be world-class innovators – there is no greater way to make an impact on society going forward than through technology.”

LOFT, which stands for Leaders On Fast Track, is HHF’s award-winning leadership and workforce development program and the Coding Jam Sessions, which are being executed across the country in over 10 markets, LOFT’s Innovation & Technology Track. 

Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. We believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.

About HHF and LOFT

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit originally established by the White House in 1987, inspires, prepares, positions and connects minority leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s priorities.  HHF also promotes cultural pride, accomplishment, and the great promise of the community through public awareness campaigns seen by millions.  HHF is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has offices in Los Angeles, New York and the LOFT Institute is housed at Michigan State University (Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org.)  Follow Hispanic Heritage Foundation on Facebook and HHFoundation on Twitter. 

CONTACT:
Santiago Amieva
Email:Santiago@HispanicHeritage.org
 
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