Statement from Mayor de Blasio Applauding President Obama's Computer Science For All Initiative

January 30, 2016

“President Obama’s call for state and local governments to expand access to computer science education is a necessary step toward equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to thrive in a 21st century economy. All over our nation, companies are increasingly relying on new technologies and are demanding a workforce with the experience to help them achieve success. But we are leaving a lot of potential on the table, including the many young women, African-Americans and Latinos who are without the resources to tap into these opportunities. The answer is simple: We must commit to giving every single young person nationwide the ability to understand the technology they use each day – and the chance to put that knowledge to use in a career.

“This critical investment in our future is one that we are already making in New York City, with our own Computer Science for All initiative. Within the next ten years, we will provide all 1.1 million of our public school students with access to computer science education, mobilizing private partners to support the training of 5,000 educators in our elementary, middle, and high school to teach them. As leaders at all levels to rise to the President’s challenge, we welcome the opportunity to share our learnings to date with other districts across the nation.”