Seal of the Governor
For Immediate Release: December 3, 2018
Contacts: Office of the Governor: Ofirah Yheskel, Ofirah.Yheskel@governor.virginia.gov

Northam Administration Kicks Off Computer Science Education Week in Virginia

Governor and First Lady Northam, administration officials will participate in events across the Commonwealth to promote computer science education and highlight the wide range of applications and career pathways in this field

RICHMOND—Proclaiming December 3–9, 2018 as Computer Science Education Week in Virginia, today Governor Ralph Northam will join First Lady Pamela Northam and administration officials to kick off a series of events designed to encourage students of all ages to get interested in computer science, and expand opportunities for computer science education in all parts of the Commonwealth. Computer Science Education Week is a national initiative dedicated to increasing awareness of the transformative role of computing and the need to strengthen computer science education at all levels.

“As one of the fastest growing industries in Virginia, computer science is at the core of virtually all sectors of our economy,” said Governor Northam. “My administration is determined to make sure that Virginia students have exposure to computer science courses at every grade level, and I look forward to traveling the Commonwealth this week to highlight computer science and the role it plays in related disciplines like education, technology, and space exploration.”

The theme of this year’s Virginia Computer Science Education Week launch is “Mission Possible: Cybersecurity,” in recognition of Virginia’s importance to the information security industry and to safeguarding our national security.

“This week is not just an exciting time for students, but for teachers as well,” said Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. “Learning activities like coding are a great introduction into computer science for learners of all ages. Having fun and meaningful exposure to and experiences with computer science is critical for all students as they consider their future careers.”

Virginia is one of the first states in the nation to integrate computer science principles and computational thinking across our K-12 standards. As part of Computer Science Education Week, Governor Northam and administration officials are encouraging school districts, teachers, and students to explore coding by taking part in “hour of code” programs.

Computing is the number one source of all new wages in the United States. Virginia has the third highest concentration of technology workers of any state in the country, and ranks first for total number of computer science jobs.

Governor and First Lady Northam will participate in the following events during Computer Science Education Week. For more information on Virginia Computer Science Education Week activities, click here.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3

10:30 AM

Governor and First Lady Northam to kick off Virginia Computer Science Education Week
Science Museum of Virginia
Gottwald Center
2500 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220

Note: Event begins at 10:00 AM, prior to the arrival of the Governor and First Lady. Event will be streamed live at www.CSforVA.org.

1:30 PM

Governor Northam to participate in Virginia Computer Science Education Week roundtable with Loudoun County educators
Moorefield Station Elementary School
22325 Moorefield Parkway
Ashburn, Virginia 20148

Note: Governor Northam will visit classrooms for “Hour of Code” activities following roundtable discussion.


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

11:00 AM

Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event with students from Danville City Public Schools
Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
150 Slayton Avenue
Danville, Virginia 24540 

Note: Governor Northam will tour computer science activities with agricultural applications following his remarks.

1:30 PM

Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on science curriculum integration
North Fork Middle School
57 Caverns Road
Quicksburg, Virginia 22847


WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5

11:00 AM

Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on drones
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center
One Partnership Circle
Abingdon, Virginia 24210

Note: Governor Northam will participate in drone demonstration with students following his remarks.


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6

9:00 AM

First Lady Pamela Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event
East Salem Elementary School
1765 Roanoke Boulevard
Salem, Virginia 24153

Note: First Lady Northam will visit classrooms and participate in robotics and unplugged coding activities following her remarks.

1:30 PM

Governor Northam to participate in Virginia Computer Science Education Week roundtable on computer science learning opportunities
Albert Hill Middle School
3400 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23221

3:00 PM

Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on computer science career pathways in higher education
Virginia State University
One Hayden Street
Petersburg, Virginia 23806


FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

2:00 PM

Governor Northam to provide remarks at Virginia Computer Science Education Week event on computer science applications in space
NASA Langley Research Center, Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility
One NASA Drive
Hampton, Virginia 23666

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