UTC offers East County children windows to explore technology

Although most students throughout East County use technology in their classrooms and at home, some might still have questions on the workings of computers.

To bring those students up to their classmates' level of understanding, June 13, The Mall at University Town Center offered The Hour of Code event for children ages 8 to 17.

The one-hour program served as an introduction to computer basics to make using computers "more approachable," a press release said.

Participants learned the basics of code programs and competed with computer games. Twelve-year-old Adrienne Brady, a Ranch resident, thought the forum made coding seem more fun and like a game, she said.

The mall's new Microsoft store hosted the event, which TechHouse sponsored. TechHouse will continue to offer the event nationwide through October. Code.org, which also helped organize the event, is a public 501 (c)(3) group dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making more technology available in schools.