C3 Jr. coding challenge for elementary school students set for September 19

JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

     WHAT:      News media representatives are invited to attend the second
                 annual statewide coding challenge tomorrow for elementary
                 school age children - part of the C Spire Tech Movement
                 initiative designed to encourage and inspire students to
                 pursue an academic degree or career in IT and computer
                 science. C Spire is partnering with the Mississippi Children's
                 Museum, which is hosting the event in conjunction with the
                 three-day 2019 Mississippi Science Fest.




                The half-day C3 Jr. program (Sept. 19) at the MCM in northeast
                 Jackson will feature teams of up to four students each from
                 fourth grade classes in 15 public and private elementary
                 schools across the state competing for bragging rights and
                 tech-related prizes. C3 Jr. will help kick off the 2019
                 Mississippi Science Fest in the LeFleur Museum District set
                 for Sept. 19-21.




                Students, a teacher or sponsor from each school will use
                 critical thinking and problem-solving skills to navigate an
                 obstacle course and showcase their creative and technical
                 abilities during the competition. C Spire has assigned
                 employees with IT backgrounds and experience to help each
                 team. Members of the top three teams will receive trophies and
                 tech-related prizes.




                The C3 Jr. coding challenge will be followed by a press
                 briefing on Friday, Sept. 20 with leaders from the education
                 and technology worlds to discuss the importance of encouraging
                 and inspiring students of all ages to pursue an academic
                 degree or career in IT and computer science.


                Speakers from academia -Mississippi State University Provost
                 and Executive Vice President Dr. David Shaw -and from the
                 technology and early childhood education worlds - C Spire
                 Chief Technology Officer Carla Lewis and MCM President and CEO
                 Susan Garrard - will focus their remarks on efforts to help
                 equip young people to be successful in the new digital
                 economy.




                Shaw, Lewis and Garrard will discuss the importance of
                 information technology and computer science in workforce
                 development and helping attract high-paying, quality jobs to
                 Mississippi during a special 11 a.m. press briefing at the
                 museum.




                Other activities during the Science Fest, which is now in its
                 fourth year and was named in 2018 as the small festival of the
                 year by the Mississippi Tourism Association and a Top 20 event
                 by the Southern Tourism Society, include Science After 6,
                 Field Trip Friday, CSI Mississippi, Science Fest Day at all
                 four LeFleur District museums and Discovery Night.




                C3 Jr. is patterned after four successful C3 coding challenges
                 for high school students C Spire has conducted in the last two
                 years involving over 480 students and teams from 103 high
                 schools in 73 Mississippi counties. Pepper, a four-foot tall
                 humanoid robot from Softbank Robotics America with a tablet
                 for a chest, also will be on hand interacting with students
                 and other guests participating in the Science Fest.




                C3 and C3 Jr. are part of the broader C Spire Tech Movement
                 designed to help move the region forward through improvements
                 in broadband access, workforce development and innovation.
                 Rapid progress in development of a 21st century technology
                 workforce is a key element of the Tech Movement.




                For the full schedule of 2019 Mississippi Science Fest
                 activities or to purchase tickets to Science Fest Day on
                 Saturday, Sept. 21, go to www.mssciencefest.org. To learn more
                 or get involved with the C Spire Tech Movement, go to
                 www.cspire.com/techmvmt.




     WHEN:    
     
              Thursday, September 19, 2019


              
     9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT




     WHERE:   
     
              Mississippi Children's Museum


              
     2145 Museum Boulevard


              
     Jackson, MS 39202




     VISUALS:                           4TH grade students from schools across state participating in
                                         coding challenge 
            
              
                Teachers,
                                         mentors and C Spire IT staff helping guide activities
                                         
              
                Mississippi Children's Museum staff
                                                               hosting first of three days of activities, programs that are
                                         part of 2019 Science Fest

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SOURCE C Spire