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Middletown plans expanded Computer Science Education Week: coding contests, family events
Summary
District officials previewed Computer Science Education Week activities — virtual coding sessions K–12, a coding competition with live judging, hackathon-type events and a family 'sip and code' at William A Carter — aimed at broadening student exposure to computing and robotics.
District presenters told the board that Computer Science Education Week will be expanded this year with multiple events designed to engage students across grades K–12.
Dr. Connell and Mrs. Poole described a district-wide series that begins with online "chill and code" sessions to engage families and students from home, followed by a coding competition for grades 3–12 with live judging and three award levels. High schools will have two levels of participation to separate repeat competitors from newcomers; organizers said 22 high school students from Monhagen, Twin Towers and the high school have already signed up.
Family engagement is central: the district will hold a "sip and code" evening at William A Carter with hot cider, snacks and hands-on activities, including musical coding and b-bots for younger students. Presenters said the week will also include a hackathon/ethical-hacking learning session and live demonstrations to connect coding with real-world problem solving.
Why it matters: Staff framed the program as a way to build early STEM literacies and expose students who might not otherwise access computer science coursework. The district highlighted prior programs (Girls Who Code) and said the goal is to increase participation at lower grades so students are better prepared for high-school STEM pathways.
Board response: Trustees praised the planning and suggested the program could grow into longer hackathon-style events. One board member recounted experience running a 24-hour hackathon and encouraged exploring that model in Middletown.
Next steps: Presenters said they will rotate the family event among elementary schools in future years and publish schedules and resources on the district website.
