Students at Seattle Nativity School, an independent Catholic Jesuit-endorsed middle school with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), is tackling Computer Science Education Week by participating in a global “Hour of Code” on Thursday. The one-hour introduction to computer science organized by Code.org is designed to easily introduce students to computer programing, and inspire them to further engage with technology.

The “Hour of Code” will be aided by 16 new Surface Pro 3 tablets donated by Microsoft as a part of Microsoft’s Day of Caring initiative last week. The donation also included a visit from Microsoft employees to help orient faculty and students to the new tablets.

“At Seattle Nativity School, our focus is on breaking the cycle of poverty by providing a tuition-free science, technology, engineering and math education for our students to nourish the soul and ignite leadership through love and service,” said Seattle Nativity School President Fr. Jeff McDougall, S.J. “A strong education in STEM is critical to setting our students up for successful careers in a 21st-century world that is increasingly technology focused. We’re working to create the technology leaders of tomorrow and the generous donation of Surface Pro 3 tablets from Microsoft gives our students state-of-the-art technology that we hope instills confidence and an enthusiasm for lifelong learning.”

In addition to the new tablets, Seattle-area technology professionals from Microsoft, Facebook and Expedia will be volunteering at Seattle Nativity School during the “Hour of Code” to assist and engage students with the curriculum.

“We’re very excited to welcome technology professionals from around the region to Seattle Nativity School during Computer Science Education Week and our Hour of Code event,” said Seattle Nativity School Principal Edward Nelson. “We’re lucky to have strong support from the technology community, including Microsoft employees that serve on our board of directors, who know the importance of a strong STEM education.”

“I am excited about the upcoming technology workshops at Seattle Nativity School and can’t wait for our students to engage with the volunteer technology professionals from Microsoft, Expedia and Facebook,” said Sonya Johnston, member of the Seattle Nativity School board of directors and employee at Microsoft. “We look forward to deepening our engagement with the Seattle-area technology community who share our interests and passion for providing a STEM based education to the underprivileged student population.”