Nov 6, 2015 2 min read Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon

BP Adams Launches ‘Code Brooklyn’ Initiative At PS/MS 282

Code Brooklyn announcement — Brooklyn Borough President announce Code Brooklyn with (from left to right) PS/MS 282 fifth grade student Mishka Braswell, PS/MS 282 Principal Rashaun Hoke, Community Corps Director for NPower Mary Ellen Sullivan, Cornell Tech K-12 Education Senior Director Diane Levitt, State Senator Jesse Hamilton, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, New York City Chief Technology Officer Minerva Tantoco, and Council Member Brad Lander. (Photo by Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office)

Brooklyn Borough President Adams announced the launch of the Code Brooklyn initiative earlier this week at PS/MS 282 alongside local and state politicians, education leaders, and technology experts.

“Code Brooklyn is a call to action for improving access to the job training and education necessary to compete in our 21^st century economy,” said BP Adams. “We need our students to be prepared to secure the jobs of today and tomorrow, as well as to grow from the quantitative and creative skills that come from exposure to computer science and coding.”

The goal is to have every district school in Brooklyn take part in Hour of Code, which takes place during Computer Science Education Week, December 7-13. Hour of Code is a world-wide initiative to get every student to take a one-hour tutorial to help demystify computer coding.

PS/MS 282 is home to the new computer science program funded by Council Member Brad Lander‘s office. “Through my funding of this year’s exciting new coding program at PS/MS 282, I’ve seen the importance of making sure that every child has the opportunity to develop his or her computer science knowledge,” said Council Member Lander.

In addition to the Hour of Code initiative, Code Brooklyn will also consist of Brooklyn Borough Hall acting as a liaison with public schools and City Hall for the Computer Science for All (CS4All) program — a public/private sector partnership that will take place over the next decade.

BP Adams also announced that he will be developing new state legislation with both State Senator Diane Savino and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. The legislation will make computer science a requirement in school curriculum, with a companion bill that will create a teacher accreditation for computer science.

Schools who have not yet done so can register here for the Hour of Code program. Those interested in volunteering for the program can visit the website for more information.