Get ready to inspire the next generation of tech professionals! The Women in IT Community of Practice (WiTCOP) is looking for staff members to volunteer with the annual Hour of Code™. Volunteers, known as “Tech-A-Teers,” will support students in Ann Arbor Public Schools from December 9-13, 2019. WiT’s goal is to have Tech-A-Teers stationed at every Ann Arbor public elementary, middle, and high school.
What is the Hour of Code?
Hour of Code is a global movement that prioritizes education and student empowerment. Volunteer classroom visits will include supporting students with coding activities and offering career advice. Volunteers will also learn about computer science education taking place in classrooms.
“The kids excitement and engagement was exciting to watch,” Christie Jacobsen, associate director of web and email strategy at Michigan Medicine, said. “I loved how much they already knew about coding.”
More than simply helping students code, Hour of Code introduces AAPS students to diverse career role models and to the Ann Arbor tech community. Volunteers from the 2018 Hour of Code said the best part of volunteering was witnessing the energy, and enthusiasm of the students.
“One girl asked me to help her quit because it was too hard and she couldn’t figure it out,” Douglas Hovey, business analyst senior at U-M Finance Analytics, said. “Instead, I asked her a couple questions and, after changing her code, it worked. She was so happy. That alone made it worth it.”
Who can volunteer?
Anyone can volunteer! Volunteers do not need to be coders –– they simply need to feel comfortable working with kids and supporting a Project Lead the Way teacher or school librarian on a classroom activity. Project Lead the Way Teachers teach a national curriculum focused on project-based learning, engineering, and computer programming.
In addition to volunteering in a classroom or library, there are also opportunities to sit on a panel with other Tech-A-Teers. Learn more about volunteer opportunities: https://www.hocataaps.org/volunteer.html.
How can you get started?
Signing up is easy! Find a date, time, and place that works with your schedule and add your name. Visit the Hour of Code at Ann Arbor Public Schools website for more information.
2018 Hour of Code by the numbers
- 7,600 students from 30 AAPS participated in an Hour of Code activity
- 79 volunteers from U-M and area organizations completed a total of 135 volunteer shifts at 19 schools, andreached 3,370 of the 7,600 students
- Almost half of all volunteers came from the U-M community
