From December 7-14, all students at Academies at GBDS participated in the Computer Science Education Week Hour of Code worldwide event with the goal of giving all children an opportunity to engage in computer science, robotics and coding. By starting early, Academies at GBDS students gain a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path.

During STEAM classes, k-eighth grade students participated in coding activities using block coding and JavaScript. Throughout the week, during their science and math classes the students took part in various unplugged programming activities focused on teaching logic and sequencing. The early childhood and elementary school students learned about algorithms by programming a teacher and giving directives and specific commands to reach the goal. The middle school students competed challenges where they had to manipulate characters and create an original version of the game.

Guest speakers, both virtual and in-person, brought the IT careers to life for the students. David Max, of LinkedIn spoke about front-end engineering and shared his expertise in programming. Justin Esgar, of Virtua, led a hands-on presentation during which students learned about the progression of the Apple computers from the first Macintosh to the present MacBook. Students learned the difference between a binary and quantum computer and explored the ruby hard drive concept. Additionally, they were introduced to the business side of IT and were inspired to become entrepreneurs and the future of computer science and engineering.