Computer programming education needed: Column

Hadi Partovi | USATODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Digital leaders encourage computer literacy Business and digital leaders, like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and Richard Branson joined forces to motivate the country to create a stronger emphasis on computer science in schools.

Starting today%2C dozens of leaders will say that more students need to learn computer programming.

Children who learn to code learn creative empowerment and an ability to break down problems.

If you want to help solve this problem%2C share this film with your children%2C your colleagues and your friends

We all know the U.S. is falling behind China and India in math and science, and we worry whether this will hurt our future. But the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on fixing this problem ignore the fastest-growing sector of innovation and job growth: computer science.

In 41 states, computer science doesn't even count toward high school graduation requirements. Although programming jobs are growing at double the pace of other jobs, computer programming is declining in our education system. This is a skill that can be taught as early as fifth grade, yet it's not even offered in 90% of U.S. schools. Why isn't today's curriculum preparing our students for the 21st century?

Job readiness

President Obama said in his State of the Union Address, "To grow our middle class, our citizens must have access to the education and training that today's jobs require."

The first step in solving a problem is to recognize it needs to be solved. Today, only 2% of students study computer programming. If we triple that to 6%, we'd close the gap between students and jobs, driving $500 billion in economic value to our country. This is a giant opportunity, impacting every industry (67% of these jobs are outside the tech sector).

Starting today, dozens of leaders from all walks of life will say in a united voice that more students need to learn computer programming.

The list includes business leaders such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and Richard Branson; politicians such as Al Gore and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; educators such as the presidents or deans of Stanford, Harvard, University of Washington, and the superintendent of Los Angeles Unified Schools; celebrities such as Bono, Ashton Kutcher and will.i.am; athletes such as Chris Bosh; and even leading scientists, doctors and astronauts.

Consider the words of Larry Corey, president of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: "Knowledge of computer programming is almost as important as knowledge of anatomy when it comes to medical research or clinical care."

These leaders endorse an idea — that whether you want to become a doctor, an astronaut, or a rock star, you should learn basic computer programming. Children who learn to code learn creative empowerment and an ability to break down problems. It provides an indispensable foundation for the 21st century.

Anyone can learn

Most adults can't wrap their heads around this because most of us never learned this stuff, either. We're scared of it. We think it's only for geniuses (typically portrayed as nerdy white boys) sitting in a dark basement coding all night. Most moms don't know that 10-year-old girls are learning to code in low-income public schools, but only in a few states. Most dads don't know that an 8-year-old can learn to code via educational games on the iPad,iPhone or xBox. And most accountants, doctors and bankers don't know that when they enter a formula into a spreadsheet, they're writing a computer program.

A motivated student who knows basic algebra needs only a few weeks to learn how to build a smartphone app or game — and could even earn her allowance from it. But the vast majority of us have absolutely no idea how to do this ourselves nor how to expose our kids to it.

To remove this shroud, today Code.org has released a short film, starring Gates, Zuckerberg, will.i.am, Bosh, and the founders of Twitter, Dropbox, Zappos, and others, to motivate students to learn to code. The short film is directed by Lesley Chilcott, producer for An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting for 'Superman.' The message of the film is simple: Coding is easier than you might think and more fun than you might think. It can change your life and help you change the world. Check it out at www.Code.org.

If you want to help solve this problem, share this film with your children, your colleagues and your friends. Surveys show that most students who watch this film are inspired to learn. We can help our nation's children find free courses on the Web, free iPad apps and nearby summer camps and after-school programs that teach this essential skill. But first, we need them to know that it's important to their future. That's where you can help.

Hadi Partovi is the founder of Code.org.

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