The Chicago Tribune – John Keilman
“Like most high school students, Wells Community Academy junior Darius Taplet doesn’t know much about computer programming, a skill that is increasingly seen as a ticket to the good life. But the Chicago teen has one advantage that peers in wealthier school districts don’t share: All Wells students, whether or not they seek out the opportunity, get the chance to code. “They said you could build your own game and I said, ‘Great! Maybe I can do (game design) in the future,'” Taplet, 17, said Wednesday after creating a simple Star Wars-themed program during a schoolwide coding event. “When I built it, it was amazing. I never realized it would come out like that.” Computer science is one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative sectors of the American economy, and qualified workers are so scarce that half a million jobs remain unfilled, according to the federal government. Yet most students still go through school without any exposure to the subject.”(more)