As part of the kick-off for the third-annual Hour of Code campaign, Code.org has recently unveiled a Star Wars-themed computer science tutorial for students.
The tutorial features Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Rey, and BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Hour of Code campaign is part of the Computer Science Education Week which takes place December 7-13.
Using the computer science tutorial from Code.org, students will learn to write code to create fun challenges and games with Star Wars characters. The games can be played on smartphones and shared with friends and families thanks to a unique link.
“For generations, Star Wars has sparked kids’ curiosity and imagination, and we hope the appeal of characters like Princess Leia and Rey will help fuel greater participation in science and math, especially among girls, around the world,” said Kathleen Kennedy, President, Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. “Computer science has helped shape our legacy and changed the way movies are made, which is why programs like the Hour of Code are so important to us.”
This is the second year that Disney has teamed with Code.org to create a tutorial with Disney characters – last year’s tutorial was completed more than 13 million times and featured Anna and Elsa from Frozen.
This year’s tutorial, Star Wars: Building a Galaxy with Code, will help student learn logic and problem solving through basic computer programming. One version of the tutorial introduces JavaScript for the first time in a Code.org lesson.
This year’s Code.org tutorial will be translated into 40 languages and will also feature a tablet-friendly drag-and-drop version for younger students.
The tutorial is sponsored by Star Wars: Force for Change. The Walt Disney Company is also donating $100,000 to support Code.org’s efforts to bring computer science education to after-school programs.
A preview of Star Wars: Building a Galaxy with Code is available now on Code Studio. The tutorial will soon be available at Disney.com.
