More than 6,000 Arkansas high school students were enrolled in computer science classes this school year, a 12 percent increase over last year, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday.
Hutchinson signed legislation in 2015, the year he took office, that required all public high schools to offer computer coding classes. Since then, enrollment in those courses has increased 460 percent, Hutchinson said.
During a news conference at the state Capitol, Hutchinson also announced that the nonprofit ARCodeKids would provide $6,000 scholarships to each of four state employees to attend a three-month coding academy at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Mary Condit, the director of the Arkansas Coding Academy, said completion of the course would qualify someone for an entry-level development job.
In addition to the state employees, ARCodeKids will provide scholarships for eight other adult Arkansans to attend the program.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.