Computer Science Week kicks off today, and in Hawaii it’ll wrap up with a $10,000 technology donation for Schofield Barracks’ Hale Kula Elementary School, where 99 percent of the 900 students are military dependents.

The check is coming from the national nonprofit Code.org, which promotes “Hour of Code” events throughout the world during Computer Science Week. The “Hour of Code” campaign is aimed at boosting awareness about computer programming and coding.

According to a press release from the Hawaii Department of Education, Code.org’s technology donation recognizes Hale Kula’s commitment to computer science. The school is in its third and final year of a grant from the Department of Defense for a blended-learning pilot program in which fourth- and fifth-grade students virtually access their curriculum for half of the week. 

It’s part of a larger effort to encourage students to enter the computer programming industry. According to the press release, computer-programming jobs are growing three times faster than the rate of students entering the field — a trend that’s gaining attention in countries across the globe. Few U.S. schools, however, teach computer programming.

Hale Kula is receiving the $10,000 check this Friday at its own Hour of Code event. All of the elementary school’s teachers and students have signed up to learn coding at the event, as have Gov. Neil Abercrombie and DOE Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. 

Photo: Code. (Courtesy Riebart via Flickr.)

— Alia Wong