Apple retail stores are inviting everyone to spend 60 minutes in a crash course on computer programming, as part of the Cupertino company and nonprofit Hour of Code's celebration of Computer Science Education Week.
The free workshops are aimed at encouraging kids to learn to code, though the sessions are open to anyone who wants to know what it takes to start building a game or utility app while learning a bit about computer science.
"We are proud to be part of making computer science accessible to students of all ages around the world," says Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet Software and Services at Apple. "Education is part of Apple's DNA and we believe this is a great way to inspire kids to discover technology."
The sessions kick off on Dec. 11. Interested individuals can click here to sign up for a free hour of coding lessons at a nearby Apple store. Apple will also host developer and engineer presentations at its stores in Berlin, Chicago, London, New York, Osaka and Tokyo.
"We're thrilled to have Apple on board again this year, encouraging students around the world to explore the wonders of building technology," said Hadi Partovi, co-founder of Code.org. "The Hour of Code, we hope, will continue to spark a creative fire that students might otherwise never discover."
The Hour of Code is in its second year, looking to build on an opening run that saw approximately 15 million students around the world engaging in the hour-long coding workshops. Roughly 10 million of those participants were girls, according to Hour of Code. Computer Science Education Week runs Dec. 8-14.
This year, there are already 69,598 Hour of Code events planned at schools, Apple stores and other venues. Organizing an Hour of Code event is relatively simple, as event coordinators need little more than space enough to accommodate eager minds interested in computer programming.
Even if event coordinators are clueless to what Boolean operators are, Hour of Code has packaged tutorials to help educators effectively introduce participants to the world of computer programming. The workshop's materials can be presented on computers, mobile devices, projectors and even old-fashioned paper.
"Hour of Code activities are self-guided. All you have to do is try our current tutorials, pick the tutorial you want, and pick an hour -- we take care of the rest. We also have options for every age and experience level, from kindergarten and up," states Hour of Code.
