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Learning.com Launches National Coding Competition

In an effort to support the national Computer Science for All (CSforAll) intiative, Learning.com has launched a nationwide coding competition for elementary and middle school students. The inaugural Code-a-Thon will take place between between Nov. 4-18.

For the Code-a-Thon, students are tasked with using the programming language CoffeeScript to program a virtual monkey to collect bananas. Completing each challenge earns students points, and the school with the highest average number of points will earn a one-year subscription to EasyTech, a self-paced digital literacy curriculum for students in grades K–8, as well as EasyCode Premium, according to the challenge website.   

"There is a growing recognition that it is important for students to begin to develop computational thinking skills and coding proficiency, even as early as elementary school,” said Learning.com CEO Keith Oelrich, in a statement. “The Code-a-Thon is a fun and engaging way for teachers to introduce their students to coding concepts without having any prior experience teaching coding.”

Schools can register now through Nov. 4 to participate. To learn more, visit the competition site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

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