My support for the White House computer science announcement

My brother Ali and I launched Code.org 4 years ago to give every student the opportunity to learn computer science. This sparked a movement that has reached 100 million students globally.

This week marks a special moment that has been years in the making: the White House announced a $200 million per year expansion of computer science offerings in America’s schools, to broaden the diversity of students learning the subject. And most of America's largest companies united to commit $300 million to support the same cause, making this the largest commitment to computer science from either the public sector or the private sector.

As I prepared to announce the news on behalf of Code.org, I knew many would ask me: "How can you support something the Trump administration is doing?"

My support for new computer science policy that benefits children does not reflect on how I feel about other actions by the Trump administration. As an Iranian child who fled my home at a time of war, I wouldn't have been allowed as an immigrant in the U.S. under the immigration policies of this administration. Like most Americans, I was appalled by the events of Charlottesville, and I unequivocally denounce such racism.

My decision to advocate for this policy was simple: it will benefit our nation’s students, especially the ones who need it the most. America has 50 million students in our public schools. The opportunity to learn computer science shouldn't be limited by the color of a student's skin, or the neighborhood she lives in. I dedicated my life to solving this problem, and I believe that opportunity for children rises above politics.

Americans may be divided by our politics, but we’re united by our love for our children. We all believe in opportunity and the American Dream.

I've spent years talking to global leaders, to advocate for opportunity for students. I met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, and the Prime Minister of Ireland, two countries which have since announced national expansion and funding for computer science. I spoke with U.S. governors from both parties to advance computer science in their states. And I met several times with President Obama to win his support for computer science in speeches, in his State of the Union address, in his personal participation in the Hour of Code, and to encourage his administration to fund computer science. And since December, I met several times with Ivanka Trump to advocate for this issue, and found her a pragmatic champion of computer science especially for girls. I will continue to meet with leaders around the world to advocate for students.

Today's announcement has been 4 years in the making, long before this administration was elected. It began with students and teachers, as a movement that spread from homes to classrooms, to school districts, and to local and national governments. 100 million students have tried computer science on Code.org in the last 4 years, and 600,000 teachers have embraced this new subject using our curriculum.

To all of you who have supported Code.org, today's announcement isn't about any politician or political agenda, it’s about our children. And it's about you. It’s about the strength of a global movement, for students, for opportunity, for our future. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Hadi Partovi, Code.org