How to organize an Hour of Code assembly or event

Get your entire school or community involved in an Hour of Code!


1. Prepare for your event

  • Determine a venue, date, and time.
  • Send a letter to your local mayor, member of Congress, governor, or influential business person and invite them to speak. Check out our how-to toolkit when hosting an elected official during an Hour of Code for more info.
  • Invite media/press. i.e. local news station, newspaper, education/tech bloggers. See our press kit for help.

2. During your event

  • Kick off your event with one of our inspirational videos.
  • Give an intro overviewing the importance of computer science, using these stats and infographics.

  • Other event ideas:
    • Invite a local industry leader to discuss his or her work involving computer science.
    • Invite a local politician and have students teach him or her how to code.
    • Have a group of students demonstrate an unplugged activity.
    • Have a group of students teach the principal or a group of teachers how to code.
    • If your school already teaches computer science, have students demo projects.

3. Share how it went

Share pictures of your event on Facebook and Twitter and use the hashtag #HourOfCode.


Example plan for a school assembly or event

Event: School-wide Computer Science Education Week kick-off assembly

Date: Oct. 1 (start of Computer Science Education Week)

Time: During the school day. Mid-morning event preferred. Approximately 1 hour.

Location: School assembly hall (e.g. theater, gym, cafeteria)

Run of Show

Time Action
10:00 - 10:05 am Open with one of our inspirational videos.
10:05 - 10:15 am Principal gives an intro overviewing the importance of computer science. Use these stats and infographics.
10:15 - 10:30 am Special guest to talk about their background and how technology and computer science plays an important role in their everyday lives.
10:30 - 10:40 am Students do an Hour of Code demo for the school. Fun twist: have them teach the principal, politician, or other students!
10:40 - 11:00 am Students demo an unplugged activity and how computer science can be taught without using computers.
11:00 - 11:05 am Teacher who helped bring school-wide event gives closing remarks.