WHEREAS, every corner of the Commonwealth is connected through the power of computer science, one of Virginia’s highest growth industry sectors, and a backbone of Virginia’s economy; and

WHEREAS, to build a workforce equipped to support our Commonwealth, we must prepare citizens for the needs of an increasingly diverse business climate by giving them the skills and credentials that are needed in a high-demand technology business; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is the first state in the nation to adopt computer science, computational thinking, and coding as essential literacies for all students; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is developing a statewide teacher professional development capacity through the Virginia Department of Education’s partnership with CodeVA that will benefit from the work of higher education institutions, school divisions, community groups, and business leaders across Virginia seeking to create a network of computer science lab schools and STEM Hubs to connect the Commonwealth in a new and powerful way; and

WHEREAS, National Computer Science Education Week began in 2009 as an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, promote computer science education, and celebrate the contributors to the field; and

WHEREAS, this year’s Virginia Computer Science Education Week LAUNCH theme is Connecting Together, in recognition of the importance of computer science as a communications tool for translating and sharing powerful ideas across communities; and

WHEREAS, Computer Science Education Week LAUNCH will kick off the Virginia Department of Education and CodeVA “CyberStart America” challenge for high school students and the annual “CS In Your Neighborhood” challenge for middle and elementary students to show off their skills, knowledge, and interest in computer science and cybersecurity; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to computer science education by providing all Virginia students meaningful access to opportunities in computer science; and, students, classrooms, and schools are encouraged to celebrate Computer Science Education Week by coming together to explore career pathways in computer science-related fields;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize December 5-11, 2022, as COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.