Kick Off Your Month Right with Codevember!

November is a lot of things. Movember, National Novel Writing Month, and now Codevember.

All About Codevember

Codevember is one of the lesser-known, but most important, causes in the spotlight this month. The challenge is to code for all 30 days. Every day has a distinct theme. Why is this movement so dear to my heart? Because coding is one of the most-needed and least-practiced skills in our culture.

Think about it. Code is the collection of languages that makes all of the internet and all of your software possible. Coding's one of the most sought-after skills in our economy. But while it grows in importance, it's seriously under-represented in schools. We put energy into standardized tests, but not much into programming languages that underpin our economy.

Codevember helps demystify code for older generations, too. The economy has been hit with lots of structural unemployment. Many machinists, typists and paralegals are finding that their jobs have been replaced by new technology, or outsourced. Codevember is a way to introduce them to a variety of skills that can jump-start their lives.

Coding is often seen as mysterious, something for power-nerds only. That shouldn't be the case. Code is just language. If you can speak, you can do it. Skill levels will vary, of course, but these days everyone should know at least the basics.

Raising Coding Awareness

Coding impacts every industry. From medicine, to automobiles, to government, it's everywhere. Codevember is our chance to make sure everyone understands its importance. This year, I've made it every day in November so far. Even on Thanksgiving, I had the laptop out, writing a little code on Mom's couch. I've been spreading the good news, too.

Next year, I'm hoping to see this movement really take off. Did you do Codevember this year? Are you excited for next year, yet?