[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4852-H4853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        PROMOTING COMPUTER SCIENCE AT DUBOIS AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, Monday marked the last day 
of school for students at the DuBois Area Middle School. It was a last 
day like probably none other.
  In addition to celebrating the long-awaited start of summer vacation, 
the sixth grade students finished off their school year with a special 
visit from Silicon Valley.
  Representatives from Google traveled to Clearfield County, 
Pennsylvania, to deliver a CS First Roadshow, a computer science 
education presentation. Google specifically developed this event for 
fourth through eighth graders.

                              {time}  1015

  Two Google employees delivered the hour-long presentation which 
focused on teaching students both problem-solving and technical coding 
skills through a series of interactive activities.
  They encouraged kids to develop an interest in computer science 
education by giving real-life examples of how coding and STEM education 
can lead to educational opportunities and exciting careers.
  Mr. Speaker, the presentation was incredible, and it was clear that 
the students truly enjoyed it. These are the kinds of skills that 
students everywhere need to be exposed to at a young age to get them 
interested in the STEM fields.
  I was excited to kick off this event at DuBois Area Middle School. I 
told the students that technology is constantly changing, and America 
needs the next generation of computer scientists ready for any 
opportunities that might come our way.
  We need more people in this world who can help build the future or 
invent

[[Page H4853]]

the next big thing. That is why it is extremely important for our 
students to learn about computer science at an early age. The CS 
Roadshow helped kids build their own fun stories using Scratch, which 
is an introductory coding tool.
  Our students today are exposed to technology at such an early age, 
but don't necessarily get to learn about why computer science should be 
an important part of their lives, both now and in the future. The CS 
First Roadshow teaches students about the importance of STEM education 
and uses interactive activities to teach them coding basics.
  Hopefully, this experience instilled a newfound passion for computer 
science in these students, and I think it did just that. I could tell 
from the joy on their faces and the fun that they were having with 
their partners that they truly were beginning a journey with computer 
science.
  Mr. Speaker, currently there are more than 500,000 open computing 
jobs in the United States. In Pennsylvania alone there are more than 
17,800 open computing jobs--that is 3.4 times the State average demand 
rate--and only 2,969 computer science graduates.
  By the year 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there 
will be 1 million more computer science jobs than graduating students 
who qualify for the jobs. And only 10 percent of K-12 schools in the 
United States offer computer science classes, which is a statistic that 
we must improve.
  I look forward to checking back in with the DuBois Area Middle School 
at the start of the next school year to see how it can expand upon and 
grow more of an interest in computer science programs for our young 
learners. After all, they are our future.

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