Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Expo 2020 Dubai announced the completion of their \u20182020 Hours of Code\u2019 initiative \u2013 completing 2,020 hours of coding tutorials with UAE-based primary school students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Held virtually and physically at the Expo 2020 Dubai Visitor Centre ahead of Expo\u2019s opening on October 1, Accenture volunteers have been delivering weekly coding skills development sessions to UAE primary schools in collaboration with the Expo School Programme, which is dedicated to inspiring the younger generation by engaging with UAE schools and educators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Empowering UAE-based students with digital, coding and computer science skills, this milestone also marks the largest scaling of Accenture\u2019s global initiative \u2013 Hour of Code, an hour-long coding tutorial drive \u2013 in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are proud to announce the successful completion of our ambitious target of extending 2,020 hours of coding tutorials to primary school students, all while ensuring continuity efforts in light of the pandemic,\u201d said Gerardo Canta, Accenture\u2019s senior managing director at Accenture in the Middle East<\/strong>. \u201cAs part of our future workforce initiatives in the region, we aim to empower future generations with critical 21st<\/sup> century knowledge and skills. Alongside Expo 2020 Dubai, we tailored the content of our global Hour of Code initiative and delivered sessions to a large student body right here in the UAE. We look forward to working with our stakeholders and expanding this program further in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alya Al Ali, Vice President of Expo School Programme at Expo 2020 Dubai<\/strong>, said: \u201cWe are thrilled that our collaboration with Accenture has provided a unique opportunity to further empower UAE school students with coding skills. Youth \u2013 the leaders of tomorrow \u2013 are at the heart of our World Expo and central to our theme and purpose of \u2018Connecting Minds, Creating the Future\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Expo School Programmeseeks to enable students to maximize cutting-edge developments, spark their curiosity and inspire them to become a force for positive change. We can\u2019t wait to welcome young visitors from all over the world to a six-month celebration of creativity, innovation, human progress and culture, and an educational journey of a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Globally, Accenture has participated in Hour of Code initiatives since 2015, with almost 160,000 Accenture employees volunteering to teach an hour of code at local events in their communities, helping to inspire more than one million students around the world to learn coding and computer science skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n