PORTLAND, OR. – November 30, 2017 – Elementary school students at Champions, KinderCare Education’s before- and after-school program, will learn how to write computer programming code next week, December 4-10, as part of the national program Hour of Code.

The Hour of Code is a national effort led by Code.org to demystify computer science. By showing that anyone can learn basic computer coding, organizers hope to encourage more participation in computer science. The Hour of Code takes place each year during Computer Science Education Week. More than 100 industry partners, including Google, MSN, Yahoo!, Disney, and Apple, are joining this year’s Hour of Code.

Champions students in participating programs will use the Hour of Code to help break down stereotypes about computer science and to introduce children to a universal language that is the new basic literacy of our digital age. Coding facilitates efficient problem-solving skills and encourages children to think creatively and innovatively. (And it’s fun – watch Champions students program a robot in this video.)

“How we converse and get our work done in the future will be different than it is today,” said Gretchen Yeager, Champions Director of Quality and Accreditation. “It is critical that we prepare future generations to think about our world in a new way.”

About Champions® Before- and After-School Programs
At more than 450 sites in 19 states and Washington D.C. Champions provides families a safe, convenient place for children to learn and have fun before- and after-school. As a leading provider of out-of-school-time learning and education programs, Champions offers parents peace of mind, and administrators a dedicated partner in delivering high-quality education. For more information, visit www.discoverchampions.com.

About KinderCare Education®
KinderCare Education is an experience-based provider of early education and child care with more than 30,000 teachers and staff serving 170,000 families every day, where they need us:

• In neighborhoods with our KinderCare® Learning Centers that offer early childhood education and child care for children six weeks to 12 years old
• At work through KinderCare Education at Work™, family-focused benefits for employers including on-site and near-site early learning centers and back-up care for last-minute child care
• In local schools with our Champions® before and after-school programs.

KinderCare Education operates 1,400 early learning centers, more than 470 Champions sites, and is supported by a corporate team of nearly 500 headquarters employees based in Portland, Oregon. In 2017, KinderCare Education received a Gallup Great Workplace Award – one of only 37 companies worldwide to do so. To learn more, visit kc-education.com.