Microsoft Develops Hour of Code in Irish Language

Microsoft today issued a call to teachers to register for an Hour of Code and give their students the opportunity to learn critical computational skills and introduce them to the tools to create, invent and succeed in the economy of today – and tomorrow. In a move to make the campaign inclusive to every school in the country Microsoft also announced the availability of an Hour of Code tutorial through the Irish language.

Hour of Code is an annual campaign held across the globe by Code.org during Computer Science Education Week. From the 9th to 15th of December, Microsoft is inviting schools to get involved through the company’s interactive Hour of Code video session in English and Irish, which can be viewed on the Microsoft Ireland YouTube channel.

The company will also see over 180 of its employees visit schools to deliver face to face Hour of Code sessions.

Speaking today Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland said: “At Microsoft Ireland, our ambition is to help every student, through the power of technology, to realise their potential. We do this in a number of ways, but the key has been the opening of our dedicated education and innovation hub, DreamSpace, at our campus in Dublin last year. Every day since it opened, we’ve had students visit the space where our employees deliver bespoke digital experiences for them.”

“Hour of Code is an annual campaign we have taken a leadership position on for the last six years. Through Hour of Code, we’ve engaged 25,000 students and given them a glimpse into the fun of coding. We’re delighted to this year have a tailored Hour of Code tutorial available for students in the Irish language. This now means every school has the opportunity to get involved.”

“Technology and understanding it is a part of nearly all jobs in today’s economy. In the future, it will be essential. The Government recently announced their Future Jobs Ireland strategy which showed that by 2025 we will be operating in a very changed economy. As a leading employer in Ireland, we want to play our role in ensuring our students will be equipped with the skills they’ll need to succeed in this changing job landscape developing around us. Hour of Code provides an opportunity to gives students a glance of the possibilities technology can offer, and hopefully spark a lifelong interest that will benefit them for years to come.”

To find out more and download the Microsoft Ireland Hour of Code tutorial, log into the Microsoft Ireland YouTube channel or follow @ @MS_eduIRL on Twitter.