Computer Science

Arkansas Governor Promotes Coding in School Tour

The governor’s 2016 Coding Tour seeks to encourage high school students to take computer science classes in the upcoming school year.

• By Sri Ravipati
• 08/18/16

Governor Asa Hutchinson will be traveling to nine high schools across Arkansas in an effort to encourage students to sign up for coding classes this school year.

In its second year, the 2016 Coding Tour begins on Aug. 22 and ends on Sept. 13. Hutchinson will speak to students directly about the benefits of taking computer science courses, including learning skills that pave the way to in-demand jobs. The governor’s tour promotes an area of STEM that is often forgotten, with less than half of schools in the United States offering CS classes.

Hutchinson has a track record of working to increase CS education in Arkansas. He teamed up with four other governors (from WA, RI, IA and VI) earlier this year to launch the Partnership for K–12 Computer Science. Known as GovsForCS, the partnership works with Code.org to increase access to CS classes.

“I look forward to visiting schools across the state to continue promoting my computer science initiative in Arkansas,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “It’s always encouraging to meet students who are excited to learn how to code, and it’s important that we maintain the momentum of this movement and continue to build awareness of the exciting opportunities in STEM and computer science fields.

The 2016 Coding Tour schedule is available on the governor’s site.