As noted over at the CCC blog as well as in CRN, the third annual Computer Science Education Week is December 4 -10, 2011 and you can join with the more than 1800 people who have pledged to participate!

CSEdWeek 2011 is a call to action to raise awareness about computer science education and computing careers. Held annually the week of Admiral Grace Hopper’s birthday (December 9, 1906), CSEdWeek brings together parents, students, teachers and others in celebrating the endless opportunities a computer science education offers students in K-12, higher education, and in their careers.

The week will also feature activities designed to provide information and activities for students, educators, parents, and corporations to advocate for computer science education at all levels and eliminate misperceptions about computer science and computing careers

Join In! Everyone can participate!

Take the CSEdWeek pledge! Register your support and share your plans to celebrate by selecting the Red Ribbon at the CS Ed Week website.

‘Like’ CSEdWeek on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CSEdWeek and join the conversation.

Blog, tweet, and post to spread the word and raise awareness. Use the #CSEdWeek hashtag.

Celebrate CSEdWeek in your school, club, or workplace.

Visit the CS Ed Week website for other suggested activities and resources.

Why Computer Science Education?
Computer science education is essential to: expose students to critical thinking and problem solving; instill understanding of computational thinking for success in the digital age; train students for computing careers that are exciting, plentiful and financially rewarding; and prepare students to tackle the world’s most challenging problems.

Yet as the role and significance of computing has grown, the teaching of computer science in our K-12 education system has dramatically declined. There is insufficient innovative computing curricula for students at all levels; few students have the opportunity to study computer science in an engaging and rigorous way; there is a lack of ethnic and gender diversity among those who do take computer science courses; and teachers have few opportunities for professional development and certification in computer science education.