Earlier this month, Mercer Island students got a chance to learn more about computer science with the worldwide event, Hour of Code, which is part of Computer Science Education Week.

Led by the Mercer Island School District’s tech teachers, Hour of Code events help students learn about patterns and problem solving via computer tutorials. Superintendent Donna Colosky even dropped in on a coding session, with fourth graders at Northwood Elementary.

Hour of Code is sponsored by Seattle-based Code.org, which has created free tutorials with the help of engineers from companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter and Google for teachers to use in class. Code.org projects that by 2020, there will be 1 million more jobs in computer science than there are computer science students in the U.S., according to the Mercer Island School District website.

Mercer Island School District Superintendent Donna Colosky drops in Northwood fourth graders during Hour of Code on Dec. 7. Photo courtesy of the Mercer Island School District

Preparing students for a digital economy, and for potential careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), is a core piece of the district’s Vision 2020. Photo courtesy of the Mercer Island School District

Mercer Island students show off their Minecraft-themed coding projects. Photo courtesy of the Mercer Island School District