- In the new economy, Computer Science
isn't an optional skill.
It's a basic skill, right
along with the three Rs.
- It's a group who wrote
something called the
Clue Train Manifesto early
on about the Internet.
It says the Internet is just us.
Computer science is really about
it's just us connected digitally.
(electronic music)
- Gillian Jacobs I'm an actress
and here on behalf of
Amy Poehler's Smart Girls and
Meredith Walker, co-creator
of Amy Poehler's Smart Girls.
- It's a privilege for us to
be able to just celebrate and
recognize the work that you all are doing.
- How can we make sure
everyone has a fair shot
at success in this new economy?
The answer to that question
starts with education.
- [Megan] I was lucky to
go to a school with very
entrepreneurial teachers and they had
mandatory science fair.
So, they made us do
this stuff, or we would
never have known how cool it is.
- I really see this as
a civil rights issue.
Computer Science has
become such an important
knowledge, everyone has to have
an opportunity to learn it.
- This is something that
anyone can do, male or female.
And, you know, age really doesn't matter.
- [Angelica] In my Computer
Science department, I think
a lot of students coming in,
had never programmed before.
So they were kind of already
behind a lot of students
across the country at
the collegiate level.
We want to introduce
kids at an earlier age
to Computer Science.
- Why do you think STEM education is
so important for middle school students?
- [James] Teaching them how to fail.
How to push through hard problems.
How to be able to persevere.
Communicating to them through
the coding and through
STEM education that they matter.
- And, I think that it's
important to, not necessarily
compare other schools,
but to see what's working
in their school that we can bring it.
- [Andreas] In the United
States, there's no place where
a blind individual can
learn computer science, so I
invented a number of technologies
to make that possible.
- [Cordell] These kids can succeed if you
put them in a right environment.
- [Karen] These amazing high
school students who really
could be the teachers
and the mentors in K8.
- What creative ideas
have you used to get your
wonderful students engaged in STEM?
- Finding their passion.
Every single one of
them has something that
they're really passionate about.
- Actually, having project based
learning and showing, I guess,
real world applications
was really, really useful
for getting the kids, well,
getting other students engaged.
- [Megan] Kindness is as
important as knowledge.
Thinking about teens and
kindness and being kind
to each other so that
everyone can appear as their
whole self is really important.
- We totally agree.
- [John] I have some homework for you all,
I think it's really important
for you, each individually,
to spend time in schools,
kind of setting an example
for kids of what's possible.
(clapping)
- I've got a plan to help
make sure all our kids get
an opportunity to learn Computer Science,
especially girls and minorities.
It's called Computer Science for All.
And it means just what it says.
Giving every student in
America an early start
at learning the skills
they need to get ahead
in the new economy.
- [Meredith] Change the
world by being yourself.
(happy music)
