PHOTO
Dubai – For the fourth consecutive year, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is teaming up with Code.org to support Hour of Code, a global educational movement that reaches over 100 million students through a one-hour introduction to computer science. This year, in conjunction with Computer Science Education Week (December 3-9), Accenture is expanding its coding tutorial across 15 languages — English, Chinese, Dutch, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish and Vietnamese — to bring coding to more students around the world through lessons in their native languages.
Nearly 2,500 Accenture employees have committed to teach an hour of code at local events in their communities, helping to inspire more than 100,000 students around the world to learn coding and computer science skills.
“As disruptive technologies advance and have a growing impact on society, a significant skills gap is also growing — so much so that already millions of jobs requiring STEM skills are unfilled worldwide,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology & innovation officer and ‘chief coder’. “It is critical that we equip today’s students — tomorrow’s workforce — with not just these skills, but also an understanding of how they can harness creativity and innovation to improve the way the world works and lives.”
Accenture is building on the success of last year’s launch of the Accenture Intelligent Space Exploration, a coding tutorial in which students discover how artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be applied to teach a robot to explore a new planet — recognizing animals and plants, understanding a new language, and conversing with inhabitants. Approximately 110,000 individuals have participated in the tutorial since its debut.
“By learning to code, kids will grow up understanding how humans and technology work together — an important first lesson in preparing for the future,” added Jill Huntley, global managing director for corporate citizenship at Accenture. “Hour of Code is a fantastic opportunity for Accenture volunteers to help to build New Skills Now all over the world.”
Accenture’s global commitment to provide more opportunities for students to learn to code supports the company’s Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship initiative, which addresses urgent workforce needs around the world — including preparing the next generation with the skills to work in the digital economy.
As part of this year’s Hour of Code collaboration, Accenture employees are developing and leading engaging activities around the world aimed at inspiring students in new ways. These activities include:
Marty Rodgers, senior managing director and local office managing director for Accenture in Metro Washington, D.C., is joining Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Kevin Rutherford, and 60 community organizations to launch #thecitythatcodes – a year dedicated to STEM education in Baltimore. The program kicks off with an hour of code taught to adults by elementary school students.
In Texas, Accenture is hosting 200 students at Space Center Houston, taking students out of the classroom and showing them first-hand what a future in computer science can look like.
In Mauritius, Accenture is organizing Hour of Code sessions for 100 students in its Tech Avenue Space, a first-of-its-kind training venue launched last year within the University of Mauritius. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in technology demonstrations, which demonstrate what pursuing a future in computer science can lead to.
Accenture employees in India are turning Computer Science Education Week into a month-long program, with over 15 events planned throughout December.
“Every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science — it provides a critical foundation for success in any 21st-century career path — not just in ‘traditional’ IT, but also creative vocations —everything from graphic design to theater production,” said Hadi Partovi, co-founder and CEO of Code.org. “To date, over 100 million students around the world have participated in Hour of Code. This is because organizations such as Accenture go above and beyond to advance our shared vision of equipping the youth of today with skills they’ll need in the future.”
To learn more or participate in Hour of Code, visit www.accenture.com/HoC2018 or code.org.
-Ends-
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions — underpinned by the world’s largest delivery network — Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 459,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Code.org
Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org provides the leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the United States and Code.org also organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign which has engaged 10% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by generous donors including Amazon, Facebook, Google, the Infosys Foundation, Microsoft, and many more.
Contact:
Theodore Halabi
Accenture
+971 50 662 7053
theodore.halabi@accenture.com
Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
