Industry volunteers help Patrick Elementary students explore coding, AI, and careers in tech

     During Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) in early December, students at Patrick Elementary School received real-world lessons from Accenture volunteers during the school’s Hour of Code event.

     The Hour of Code encourages students to engage in small coding activities to build excitement and skills for Computer Science (CS).

     This visit with Accenture's volunteers augmented the students' usual curriculum with additional Artificial Intelligence (AI) and coding activities. Accenture's employees also shared their real-world tech career experiences with students.

     Amber Melander, a computer technology teacher at Patrick Elementary, says this event enhanced the lessons students are already learning. In CS class, students are learning basic coding principles, including algorithms, sequencing, loops, and debugging. They are also working on perseverance and iteration across the school. Students applied their computational thinking skills, which are part of Gwinnett County Public Schools’ artificial intelligence (AI) framework used daily across subject areas, to solve problems during Hour of Code. In addition, all students from Kindergarten through 5th grade had the opportunity to speak with a career professional from Accenture.

     “[Students] learned what it looks like to work as a programmer day to day, the kinds of projects that are done in the real world, and what type of education and skills are needed to work in computer science as a career,” Melander adds.

     The Hour of Code activities were provided by code.org, a nonprofit organization that offers comprehensive, standards-aligned AI and computer science courses. Kindergarteners and 1st graders learned to code using the “Angry Birds” game. In the 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms, students created an AI dance party, and 4th- and 5th-graders used an AI-powered coding program to design their own song, character, and dance. 

     “Students enjoyed working with professionals from Accenture to code,” Melander says, “They especially loved showing off their creativity and their thinking skills!”