Promoting Computer Science At Dubois Area Middle School

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, Monday marked the last day of school for students at the DuBois Area Middle School. It was a last day like probably none other.

In addition to celebrating the long-awaited start of summer vacation, the sixth grade students finished off their school year with a special visit from Silicon Valley.

Representatives from Google traveled to Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, to deliver a CS First Roadshow, a computer science education presentation. Google specifically developed this event for fourth through eighth graders.

Two Google employees delivered the hour-long presentation which focused on teaching students both problem-solving and technical coding skills through a series of interactive activities.

They encouraged kids to develop an interest in computer science education by giving real-life examples of how coding and STEM education can lead to educational opportunities and exciting careers.

Mr. Speaker, the presentation was incredible, and it was clear that the students truly enjoyed it. These are the kinds of skills that students everywhere need to be exposed to at a young age to get them interested in the STEM fields.

I was excited to kick off this event at DuBois Area Middle School. I told the students that technology is constantly changing, and America needs the next generation of computer scientists ready for any opportunities that might come our way.

We need more people in this world who can help build the future or invent the next big thing. That is why it is extremely important for our students to learn about computer science at an early age. The CS Roadshow helped kids build their own fun stories using Scratch, which is an introductory coding tool.

Our students today are exposed to technology at such an early age, but don't necessarily get to learn about why computer science should be an important part of their lives, both now and in the future. The CS First Roadshow teaches students about the importance of STEM education and uses interactive activities to teach them coding basics.

Hopefully, this experience instilled a newfound passion for computer science in these students, and I think it did just that. I could tell from the joy on their faces and the fun that they were having with their partners that they truly were beginning a journey with computer science.

Mr. Speaker, currently there are more than 500,000 open computing jobs in the United States. In Pennsylvania alone there are more than 17,800 open computing jobs--that is 3.4 times the State average demand rate--and only 2,969 computer science graduates.

By the year 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be 1 million more computer science jobs than graduating students who qualify for the jobs. And only 10 percent of K-12 schools in the United States offer computer science classes, which is a statistic that we must improve.

I look forward to checking back in with the DuBois Area Middle School at the start of the next school year to see how it can expand upon and grow more of an interest in computer science programs for our young learners. After all, they are our future.

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