Hosting an elected official at your Hour of Code

Inviting an elected official to your Hour of Code event will show your representative the impact and need for computer science education, and your students will be inspired by a role model in government.

In order to run a successful Hour of Code event while engaging elected officials, complete these tasks prior to the elected official attending your school. The task includes coordination with their point of contact, media invitations, waivers, and planning your agenda.


1

Invite an elected official

Determine the point person for both your event and the elected official.

Before Hour of Code

Coordinate both the point person from your event (e.g., school administrator) and for the elected official attending (e.g., staffer or scheduler). Ensure both parties have each other's contact information for the day of the event.

2

Register your event

Work with the parties organizing your Hour of Code event to register and put your event on the map. You'll receive early access to information about new activities and special promotions!

You can also view the Hour of Code map to see your event, and know that your dedication is part of a worldwide movement.

Register your event
3

Choose your activities

This year, the Hour of Code theme is Creativity with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Whether it’s coding new apps and algorithms, generating unique art, or crafting choreography to get us dancing, AI is opening up fresh opportunities for digital expression that expand our understanding of creativity. Make this year special by completing a coding activity AND learning about AI.

First, explore hundreds of coding activities and choose one based on your group's age, experience, interests and more. These select activities feature artificial intelligence as a key topic or lesson.

Then, learn all about AI. Students can watch short videos featuring experts in the field, and there are accompanying lesson plans to extend the activity and guide further discussion. Or, we offer free professional learning for educators to unlock the future of teaching with and about AI.

4

Plan your event

Create a specific agenda for the day and make sure all parties participating (teachers, students, administrators, elected officials and their staff) are aware of what is happening and when. Things to consider:

  • What is each participant doing during each part of the event?
  • Will the official sit with one student, or rotate between many students during the event? (You may want to coordinate this ahead of time with the official's staffer.)
  • Will the official speak to the students as a group?
  • Plan flexibility into the agenda. What if the official is running late? What if some students finish their activity before others?

Here's a sample agenda to get you started:

  • 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.
  • 10:10 - 10:15 am: Elected official to talk about their background and how technology and computer science plays an important role in their everyday life.
  • 10:15 - 10:55 am: Students do their Hour of Code activity. Fun twist: have a group of students teach the principal, politician, or other students!
  • 10:55 - 11:00 am: Teacher/administrator gives closing remarks.
5

Coordinate with Media

Know who will be responsible for coordinating media invitations. It could be the school, the district, the official's office, or any combination.

Secure media waivers for all students, per your state/district/school policy.

6

Confirm all details

Send the public agenda to the official 72 hours prior to the event. Include event dress code, who will greet them, which classroom or event they will attend with teacher's name, and agenda for the event.

Review the agenda and test all technology the day before and day of the event to ensure the event runs smoothly.

7

Get coding!

To ensure the elected officials feel welcome and engaged, greet the elected official at the door of the event to show them where to go and answer any questions they may have. It is always great to have a student help greet them!

Day of Hour of Code

Take pictures during the event to commemorate the visit and to post on your organization's social media networks. (Publicity or privacy policies may apply).

Make sure the agenda is running smoothly and that it remains on track to end on time. The official may have other visits or meetings scheduled following your event.

8

After the event

After a successful Hour of Code event, make sure to:

  • Celebrate! Print certificates of completion and congratulate your students.
  • Thank the official for their time and offer to answer any follow-up questions they may have.
  • Post pictures, videos, or notable quotes from the day on social media with #HourOfCode and @codeorg. (Publicity or privacy policies may apply.)
  • Send the official a follow-up thank you note. It's especially thoughtful to get students to sign!
  • Follow up with the staff point person on each side for feedback on how to make next year’s event even better.
9

Beyond Hour of Code

Computer science doesn't have to end with the Hour of Code! While 90% of parents want their child to learn computer science, most schools still don't teach it and hundreds of thousands of jobs go unfilled. Learn how to bring computer science to more schools in your area and advocate for computer science to be a graduation requirement.

After Hour of Code

Become an advocate

Frequently asked questions

View more FAQs
Vad är Hour of Code?

The Hour of Code började som en entimmes introduktion till datavetenskap, designad för att avmystifiera "kod", för att visa att vem som helst kan lära sig grunderna och för att bredda deltagandet inom datavetenskap. Det har sedan dess blivit en världsomspännande ansträngning för att fira datavetenskap, som börjar med 1-timmes kodningsaktiviteter men expanderar till alla typer av samhällsinsatser. Kolla in tutorials and activities. Den här gräsrotskampanjen stöds av över 400 partners och 200 000 lärare över hela världen.

Varför datavetenskap?

Alla elever ska ges möjlighet att lära sig datavetenskap. Det bidrar till att utveckla färdigheter för problemlösning, logiskt tänkande och kreativitet. Genom att starta tidigt får eleverna de grunder som behövs för att lyckas inom olika karriärer på 2000-talet. Se mer statistik here.

Hur deltar jag i Hour of Code?

Start planning here genom att gå igenom vårt handledningsmaterial. Du kan organisera en Hour of Code aktivitet på din skola eller i ditt område, som en klubb efter skolan, ett projekt för välgörande ändamål eller på arbetet. Eller prova själv den %{campaign_date}.

Other Hour of Code resources

Promotional Resources

Find all the resources you need—print and digital—to bring attention to your Hour of Code.

Discover Activities

Explore a wide selection of one-hour tutorials designed for all ages in over 45 languages.

How to Get Involved

Help spread the word about Hour of Code! Discover ways to get your community involved.