For the second year in a row, Mozilla is a partner in the Hour of Code, and we hope you’ll join us.
This campaign launched in 2013, to align with Computer Science Education Week, and to demystify code and show that anyone can learn the basics. While we’re surrounded by technology and the web in our daily lives, few people understand how it all works. In our mission to protect the open web as a global resource for all, we must educate others about how and why the web exists, but also how the web is a creative platform with endless possibilities and opportunities now and for our future.
Last year, 15 million students participated in the Hour of Code. It was supported by education and technology leaders like Amazon.com, Yahoo! and Boys & Girls Club of America, as well as celebrities and teachers from school districts across the globe. This year, the goal is to reach 100 million students, to introduce them to one hour of computer science as an entry point to learning about computational thinking, problem-solving, and to nurture their creativity on new platforms.
Our Webmaker program is all about spreading web literacy –- through our tools, our Maker Party campaign, our city-based efforts via Hive Learning Networks, and our global community of educators, mentors, teachers, technologists and others who help us teach the web.
The Hour of Code is a great platform to join forces and make a real impact, together.
Whether in classrooms, afterschool programs, or at home with friends, you can achieve and learn a lot in one hour.
Webmaker compiled a handful of activities that are free and available for anyone who wants to try an Hour of Code this year. Start with showing someone how to remix their local newspaper’s website to imagine what the headlines will read in the year 2025. Then help them code their first app using local weather data. No previous coding experience is required, but with these activities, in just one hour you can introduce people to basic HTML, CSS, Javascript and app development, while also teaching them about critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration. Coding is one piece of this larger puzzle that we believe will help millions become not just consumers of the web, but also creators and protectors of the open web.
We hope you have an opportunity to spend at least one hour between Dec. 8th and 12th to participate in the Hour of Code with us. Once you’ve completed any of these activities, apply for your Web Literacy Skill Sharer badge to showcase your achievements, and encourage your learners to share their new skills with others so they can earn a badge too. We’d also love to hear about your experiences, so Tweet at @webmaker with the #hourofcode hashtag.