Amman, December 2014 - Microsoft Jordan has launched the Hour of Code (HOC) global movement in over 130 schools and universities across the Kingdom, underscoring efforts to further strengthen Jordan’s standing within the worldwide information technology (IT) arena. HOC consists of an hour-long session that aims to introduce and simplify computer science (CS) and programming concepts for students of all ages. The movement kicked off as part of Computer Science Education Week, 2014, drawing the participation of 19,000 students in 717 sessions. In support of HOC, Jordan Education Initiative (JEI) also activated the movement at a number of its schools throughout Jordan.

The HOC movement was created by Code.org in 2013 and is considered the largest educational event in history, attracting millions of students from across the globe. Last year alone, the event impacted 20 million students internationally, and this year aims to reach out to 100 million benefactors.

The movement has garnered the support of many educational institutes, in addition to Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) who volunteered to deliver HOC at selected JEI schools and universities. The MSPs also helped spread awareness about HOC within their campuses and communities by highlighting the many benefits of coding. These include problem solving skill development, logic and creativity, as well as job opportunity creation within the IT field, a key aspect that further encourages and inspires participating students.

Hussein Malhas, Country Manager of Microsoft Jordan, commented, “We launched the HOC movement in a number of universities and schools across the Kingdom, in line with our belief in the importance of creating a stimulating educational environment and preparing students for the future, which seems to be driven by modern technology. I believe that Jordanian school students are now well prepared to enhance their technical skills, and that the time has come for them to join their peers across the globe in learning the foundations of computer science and programming.”

In turn, Nermine Nabulsi, Chief Executive Officer of JEI, said, “JEI is proud of its longstanding strategic partnership with Microsoft Jordan, which is closely aligned with the adoption of ICT in education by the Government of Jordan. JEI’s partnership with Microsoft Jordan is geared towards preparing our students for the job market of the 21st century and equipping them with the ability to effectively and efficiently manage knowledge communities through the provision of a better learning environment that promotes interaction with modern technologies at all educational levels. "