About CSEdWeek

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CSEdWeek 2011, December 4 to 10, 2011, is a highly distributed celebration of the impact of computing and the need for computer science education.

Last year, with leadership from Congressman Vernon Ehlers and Congressman Jared Polis, the US House of Representatives endorsed December 5 to 11, 2010 - the week of Grace Hopper’s birthday (December 9, 1906) - as Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) to recognize the critical role of computing in today’s society and the imperative to bolster computer science education at all levels. Going forward, CSEdWeek will always be held the week containing December 9th.

Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education has fallen woefully behind in preparing students with the fundamental computer science knowledge and skills they need for 21st century careers. Click here to learn more about how your state is doing.

Computer Science is:

Computing
Computer Engineering
Informatics
Information Technology
Software Engineering
Information Systems

CSEdWeek recognizes that computer science is ubiquitous:

It touches everyone’s daily lives and plays a critical role in society
It drives innovation and economic growth
It provides rewarding job opportunities

Computer science education is essential for:

Exposing students to critical thinking and problem solving
Instilling understanding of computational thinking for success in the digital age
Preparing students to attack the world’s most challenging problems from a computation perspective

As the role and significance of computing has grown, the teaching of computer science has dramatically declined:

There is insufficient innovative computing curricula for students at all levels
Few students have the opportunity to study computer science in an engaging and rigorous way
The lack of ethnic and gender diversity among those who take computer science courses is unacceptable
Teachers have few opportunities for professional development in computing
Certification for computer science teachers is virtually nonexistent nationwide

Computer Science Education Week 2011 is once again being Chaired by Debra J Richardson, Professor of Informatics and Founding Dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Ruthe Farmer, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the National Center for Women and Information Technology, is serving as Vice Chair for CSEdWeek 2011.