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Code.org gets $12 million for computer science education from Gates Foundation and other groups.
Code.org, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to computer science education, announced today that it has received $12 million in new donations from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, Infosys FoundationUSA, and others.

Founded in 2013 by twin brothers Hadi and Ali Partovi, Code.org has found many backers in Silicon Valley. Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook have donated more than $10 million each to Code.org since its inception.

In conjunction with the funding announcement, Code.org also highlighted a slew of new commitments from cities and states that have pledged to increase their investments in computer science education. Florida Governor Rick Scott’s (R) proposed 2018 state budget calls for a one-time $15 million investment to increase the opportunities for middle and high school students to learn computer science. Meanwhile, the state of Arkansas announced that it will be dedicating $500,000 to the creation of a first-of-its-kind stipend program for existing K-8 teachers in the state who are interested in receiving training to teach computer science. In 2015, Arkansas became the first state to pass a law requiring that all charter and public high schools offer computer science classes, and the state was cited by Hadi Partovi as one of the most progressive in terms of computer science education.

Code.org creates curriculums for K-12 computer science classes in school districts across the country and organizes the Hour of Code, an annual event that celebrates computer science. The event gets its name from an hour-long introduction to computer science class designed by Code.org.