Image 1: Children Programming in Class
Generation Z is the first generation to grow up in a purely technology-driven world. With the use of technology at an early age, the minds of this generation have the greatest potential to influence the expanding field of computer science, yet many Columbus elementary schools fail to teach students how the technology they use actually works. Aside from learning coding languages, computer programming also develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and computational thinking skills, which are important in any career. Due to the increasing size of the field of computer science and the skills that computer programming teaches, it is beneficial for Columbus elementary schools to include optional, after-school computer science programs for grades K-5 to give children the best economic opportunities possible for their futures.