Coding or Computer Programming is the development of code, or a set of instructions, to make computers do what we want them to do. Usually, it involves the use of coding languages such as HTML, Java, and Python to name a few. Every time you interact with a computer and use applications like Chrome, iTunes, Snapchat, or WhatsApp, you are using code. But that's not all.

Movie animations and special effects are made using thousands of lines of code. Engineers rely on code to simulate the behavior of a design before they actually make it. Coding is also used anytime data is analyzed -- in financial systems, healthcare, retail, transportation, sports stats, etc.

Coding is the new literacy of the 21st century and will become a requirement for nearly all jobs of the future.

For our students, learning how to use a computer as a productivity tool is no longer enough. The demand for students to learn computational thinking skills to use computers as a problem-solving tool is growing.

In June 2016, Massachusetts officially announced the MA Digital Literacy and Computer Science Curriculum Framework, taking a significant step in recognizing that Computer Science plays an integral role in student success both before and after graduation. Despite the increasing presence of technology and the increasing demand for computer science in the workforce, the number of students graduating with skills in this field remains low. There is an urgent need to increase our youths’ interest in computer science, and this must start in schools.

Furthermore, there is a lack of diversity in the field of technology and computer science. Increasing access to computer science course in Boston is essential in ensuring that under-represented groups such as females and students of color are not excluded from pursuing technology and computer science careers.