Together We Code is a series of workshops designed to encourage military families to learn introductory coding concepts, increase awareness of resources for learning at home, and to understand the importance of computational thinking. Parents and students will learn to code together through the creation of games, videos, websites, art, and other projects, limited only by their imagination!
When children learn to code and explore computational thinking, they are not only gaining higher-order thinking skills but gaining a chance to choose exciting and more challenging jobs in the future. This is especially critical for military-connected students who have uneven access to educational opportunities as they transition from urban to rural to global environments.
Including parents and caregivers in family-focused programming is key to increase awareness of learning opportunities for their children, to advocate for them, and to encourage their children to participate through transitions, separations, and relocations.
Coding, a skill learned through Computer Science education, is emerging as a language or “new literacy” that is as important as reading and writing. No matter their income or background, students with involved parents and caregivers are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school; all critical skills for military-connected students.
The Code.org Advocacy Coalition has created a state-by-state resource to demonstrate current computer science policy in K-12 education. The future of education in the United States is technology and computer science.
The overarching goal of TWC is for parents and students to learn essential coding concepts together:
- Think creatively
- Reasons systematically
- Solve problems
- Work collaboratively with parents and peers
For more details, contact a Military Student Consultant at msc@MilitaryChild.org.
