NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Accenture (NYSE:
ACN) employees across 56 countries have pledged to complete more
than 10,000 Hours of Code and lead coding tutorial sessions around
the world during Computer Science Education Week, Dec. 4-10, as part of the company's commitment to
helping students around the world build computer and science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8217751-accenture-hour-of-code/
This year Accenture is leading with the talent and energy of our
people, pledging more than 2,000 hours to lead or volunteer at
local events in their communities, joining forces with teachers and
Code.org to help students learn coding and computer science skills.
This follows Accenture's recently announced pledge of
US$10 million to support initiatives to expand STEM and
computer science education through Internet Association, a group
that represents global internet companies on matters of public
policy.
"Technology is creating jobs that didn't even exist five years
ago and learning to code can transform the trajectory of a
student's life and career," said Paul
Daugherty, Accenture's chief technology & innovation
officer and 'chief coder.' "As part of our commitment to working
with Code.org to prepare young people for the digital economy,
Accenture employees last year dedicated more than 10,000 hours to
Hour of Code, inspiring more than 100,000 students around the world
to learn basic coding skills. We've seen the impact that Code.org
is having on students and this year we're doing more to support
that — more hours and more classroom sessions to spark an interest
in working with the technologies of tomorrow."
Hour of Code was launched in 2013 by Code.org, a non-profit
dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing
participation by women and underrepresented minorities. The program
reaches millions of students through a one-hour introduction to
coding and computer science. For the third straight year, Accenture
is teaming with Code.org on Hour of Code and other STEM-related
educational initiatives. New this year, Accenture Technology
harnessed its internal expertise to create a coding tutorial that
gives students a better understanding of artificial intelligence
(AI). Students will discover how various AI techniques can teach a
robot to explore a new planet — including recognizing animals and
plants, understanding a new language, and conversing with
inhabitants.
"The Hour of Code campaign has already led to more than 450
million hours of code being completed– it's mind-boggling. To date
at least one out of every 10 students worldwide has participated in
the Hour of Code program," said Hadi
Partovi, co-founder and CEO of Code.org. "This year, we are
asking for people to not only do an hour of code, but go beyond one
hour and think about what they can do to ensure that computer
science education continues for years to come."
Melissa Daniel, a teacher
at Stone Mountain Elementary in
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, whose
class participated in Hour of Code last year, said, "Accenture led
an Hour of Code event in my classroom that centered on an easy and
fun coding tutorial. My students were excited to learn a new skill
that can lay the foundation for a successful career. While getting
access to computer science educational tools can be challenging,
having access to Accenture's resources is enabling me to help my
students become leaders in technology, setting them on the path to
eventually working with technology that could someday change the
world."
As part of this year's Hour of Code collaboration, Accenture
executives will lead Hour of Code activities around the world.
Among the executives participating are:
- Yves Bernaert, a senior managing
director with Accenture Technology, will host students at Station
F, a start-up incubator in Paris.
- Jo Deblaere, Accenture's chief
operating officer, will host students for an Hour of Code event at
the Accenture office in Amsterdam.
- Ambe Tierro, a senior managing
director in the Philippines, will
host students at the Accenture Liquid Studio in Manila.
- Mohan Sekhar, a senior managing
director in the Accenture Technology Centers in India, will host students at an Accenture
office in Bangalore.
- Christy Sovereign, Minneapolis office senior managing director,
will be participating in a special Hour of Code event working with
Robbinsdale Cooper High School student athletes to learn about the
future of technology and sports, including a special session on how
to build and fly a drone.
To learn more or participate in Hour of Code, visit
https://www.accenture.com/HoC2017 or https://code.org/.
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 approximately
425,000 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 non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer
science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented
minorities. Our vision is that every student in every school should
have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology,
chemistry or algebra. Code.org organizes the annual Hour of Code
campaign which has engaged 10% of all students in the world and
provides the leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the
largest school districts in the United
States. Code.org is supported by generous donors including
Microsoft, Facebook, the Infosys Foundation, Google, Omidyar
Network, and many more.
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SOURCE Accenture