Google and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America are introducing CS First, a program designed to help elementary and middle school students learn computer science.

 "The program teaches kids ages 9 to 14 how to express themselves and their interests through computer code,” reports Jessica Guynn of USA Today.

“Google launched CS First in July 2013 as a pilot program out of its South Carolina data center.”

The program being used for students in fourth-eighth grade is call “club in a box,” according to the article. It is accessible online and can be used by teachers or volunteers to teach students simple coding skills that can prepare them for a possible career in coding.

“More than 18,000 students have taken part in the program at one of more than 1,200 CS First clubs around the country, according to Google,” according to Guynn.

“Last week, Google said it would work with hundreds of after-school programs across five boroughs in New York City to reach more than 100,000 kids.”

The new program will help give students a boost in the technologically advancing school systems and furthermore prepare them for the job market that comes with it.

"Within the pipeline, we don't have enough diversity. That's a huge issue," said Maggie Johnson, Google's director of education and university relations, according to the USA Today report.

"If we are going to be creating products and services that are useful to everyone, those products and services have to be created by a diverse group."

With the intentions of directing students to an open job market, Google is hoping to diversify and increase the number of students who are interested in jobs associated with STEM fields.

With a healthy future geared around technology, Google is trying to make the decision easier for students to lean towards an open field with plenty of opportunities and “CS First” looks to provide the positive push in the right direction.

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Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor