Congresswoman Suzan DelBene joined local students at Kirkland Middle School as they participated in the Hour of Code on Dec. 9. The interactive event was designed to encourage interest in computer science education and demonstrate how coding can prepare students to be creators and innovators in a 21st century economy.

During the Hour of Code event in Kirkland, students participated in an hour-long tutorial called “Write Your First Computer Program” designed to teach basic coding principles in a fun, interactive way. DelBene spent the hour in a classroom with middle school students as they went through the hands-on lesson in coding.

The event was part of a nationwide campaign to inspire students across the country to pursue computer science by introducing them to one hour of basic programming. The event was timed to take place during Computer Science Education Week, Dec. 9-15, as the campaign includes more than 30,000 events nationwide and introduced millions of students of all ages to computer science and coding.

To learn more about the Hour of Code, visit www.hourofcode.com.