Edgewood Highland receives $10K grant for technology as part of Hour of Code initiative

Daniel Kittredge
Posted 12/11/14

Marie-Elaina DiMaio, a fifth-grade teacher at Edgewood Highland Elementary School, first learned of the Hour of Code program from her daughter, who lives in California.

She went on to introduce …

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Edgewood Highland receives $10K grant for technology as part of Hour of Code initiative

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Marie-Elaina DiMaio, a fifth-grade teacher at Edgewood Highland Elementary School, first learned of the Hour of Code program from her daughter, who lives in California.

She went on to introduce the program, an ambitious international effort geared at sparking students’ interest in computer science, to her fifth-grade class. This year, the entire school will be involved in the initiative, which has set the goal of involving 100 million students worldwide between Dec. 8-14.

DiMaio also sought a grant through Code.org, a non-profit organization founded in 2013 with the mission of expanding participation in computer science, to purchase new technology equipment such as laptops and tablets.

On Monday, the Edgewood Highland community gathered to celebrate being selected as one of 51 schools nationwide to receive a $10,000 award.

“The biggest message that we want to send you…this is a 21st-century skill,” Principal Keith Croft told the gathered students. “Technology is what is going to carry you for the rest of your life.”

The grant was announced at the end of a short program that included a pair of videos. In the first, notable figures such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and NBA star Chris Bosh discussed their own experiences with coding and the importance it plays as a skill in the modern economy and world. The second focused specifically on the Hour of Code and the program’s global reach.

“You’re part of that, boys and girls!” DiMaio told the students after the video highlighted this year’s 100 million student participation goal.

School Committee member Jeff Gale, who was on hand for the gathering, recalled his first experience designing a website.

“It was just amazing to do, and I hope you have the same experience this week,” he told the students.

Gale also urged the youngsters to “never stop learning about technology. It’s one of the best skills you can have.”

DiMaio also spoke of the two women in whose honor the Hour of Code is held in early December – U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Dr. Grace Murray Hopper, a mathematician and scientist, and Ada Lovelace, known as the founder of scientific computing.

The former, born in December 1906, was a pioneer in computing and is known as the “mother of COBOL,” or Common Business-Oriented Language. The latter, born in December 1815, is widely credited with writing the first computer program foretelling the vast capabilities of modern computing.

“[They are] the two pioneer women who started this journey,” DiMaio said.

For more information, visit www.code.org or www.hourofcode.com.

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