Accenture Inspires Abu Dhabi Students to Learn Coding Through ‘Hour of Code' Campaign

Dubai, UAE, December 15, 2016:  Accenture, in collaboration with Code.org to support Hour of Code, has teamed up with Australian School of Abu Dhabi in the capital emirate of Abu Dhabi, as part of its global educational movement to computer science and computer programming.

Accenture employees in more than 200 cities across 55 countries, have pledged to complete more than 10,000 Hours of Code during Computer Science Education Week. In the UAE, the leading global professional services company joined the international campaign through a one-hour session at the Australian School of Abu Dhabi with 29 of its students.

According to the World Economic Forum’s January 2016 report, 65 percent of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new jobs that do not exist yet. Last year, there were 500,000 new computing jobs available in the United States alone, but only 40,000 qualified graduates to fill them. Hence, Accenture’s commitment to inspire and educate students about coding and computer science, in order for them to be able to explore all career possibilities.

“Coding is the language of technology that has touched every aspect of today’s world,” said Omar Boulos, Accenture Regional Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “The aim of our campaign is to demystify the basics of code for all and demonstrate the power of computer coding at schools worldwide. During our school visit in Abu Dhabi, we have met some very passionate students who were eager to learn code. We encourage all educational institutions in the region to adopt such innovative ideas that inspire creative learning and elicit interest in computer science.”

A brainchild of Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, Hour of Code brought together more than 350 partner organizations and tens of millions of students in every country of the world. The campaign culminated with a massive coding event the week of December 5-11, encompassing 191,000 registered coding sessions. The goal of the grassroots movement was to give every student in every school the opportunity to learn computer science, as with an early start, they will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path.

Accenture encourages its employees and computer engineers to volunteer at schools in their communities, to help students learn the basics of coding through online tutorials that inspire students to continue learning. To learn more or participate in the Hour of Code visit https://www.accenture.com/HoC2016 or https://code.org/

The Hour of Code campaign by Accenture saw the participation of an enterprising group of grade 10 students from the Australian School of Abu Dhabi. This stimulating and challenging platform proved to be a great hit with the students, who saw it as an opportunity to put their coding skills to the test. Acknowledging the students’ participation and achievements at the hour-long event, Anthony Wethereld, Principal of the Australian School of Abu Dhabi, noted that the aim and structure of the event was very beneficial for academic excellence. Being an ex-computer engineer who dabbled in programming (or cutting code as it has been called) himself, Wethereld believes that the study and practice of computer coding results in tangible positive outcomes, and that it enhances the way students think and persevere through a task to reach a successful conclusion. When asked if he would like to have the School involved again next year, he said “bring on the next Hour of Code event!” The School looks forward to a fruitful, ongoing relationship with Accenture.