“Beyond all the lifestyle perks
Coders change the world
When they puttin’ in the work
Medical research to help cure cancer
An algorithm just might have the answer
By 2030 we’re hitting the red planet
And I guarantee you
Coders’ll be the ones that’ll plan it”
So goes two lines from a recent rap song created by Flocabulary on the top 10 reasons to code. Just in time for this year’s Computer Science Education Week, the startup created “Top 10 Reasons to Code” to engage with students and to encourage them to consider futures in computer science.
“I think we’d all take a few more computer science classes if we could do it over again,” said cofounder and CEO Alex Rappaport. “The fact is, programming is something everyone at a 21st-century company should have some exposure to, and good developers are ridiculously hard to find these days. We made this video to build on the momentum behind coding education and hopefully inspire the next generation of students to pursue careers in tech.”
The Brooklyn, NY-based Flocabulary creates educational hip-hop videos for students in Kindergarten to 12th grade. “Top 10 Reasons to Code” is the first of several upcoming STEM videos to come out in 2015 from the company. Currently, more than 20,000 schools across the country utilize Flocabulary’s education standards-aligned videos in their curricula, taking additional advantage of their related activities and lessons.
Computer Science Education Week is a week-long initiative led by Code.org aimed at getting young people interested in computer science. This year, the event will begin December 8th and will end on December 14th. The most recent hip hop video on the top 10 reasons to code by Flocabulary was made with the goal of putting into context how important coding skills are, putting into perspective the pros of working in the tech industry, as well as highlighting the significant effects computer science has on society overall.
Watch “Top 10 Reasons to Code” below: