Teach Kids How to Code: Frozen Movie Tries to Get Young Girls Interested in Computer Coding
A new tactic to get young girls interested in computer coding has popped up-in a collaboration with Disney's smash-hit movie "Frozen." Code.org announced Wednesday that it and Disney Interactive had joined forces to create a tutorial that allows beginning programmers to help "Frozen" princess characters Elsa and Anna make snowflakes and skating patterns by using basic coding skills.
The tutorial, is a part of Code.org's larger non-profit online learning platform, used in more than 50,000 classrooms. The "Frozen" collaboration will help kick off their "Hour of Code" campaign, spreading awareness about possibilities in computer science around the world, especially among girls.
The tutorial allows users to deploy simple commands to help the princesses skate lines on the ice. Using "Blocky," a drag-and-drop visual tool to create these basic string of commands. There is also a more advanced option of using the JavaScript the program's based on.
Disney is also donating $100,000 to Code.org to bring computer science education options to after-school programs.
Microsoft engineer Paola Mejia has also gotten involved as a spokeswoman for the initiative.
Gaps in the workforce between genders, especially in the highly successful and growing technology industry, are the focus in campaigns like this.
"The diversity in tech issue is one we can put behind us if we get these girls interested in [coding] from the beginning," Hadi Partovi, CEO and co-founder of Code.org, said. "When you're the only girl entering a classroom, the moment you walk in you feel like you don't belong. The way we address it is to flodd the classroom with young girls who've already tried it and know they like it."
And although the wildly popular Disney princesses often draws heavy criticism from feminists, "Frozen's" heroines are a step in the right direction. In the film, sisters Elsa and Anna do anything to protect one another, instead of valuing romantic love above all else.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!