Cartoon Network Encourages Creative Coding for Kids at White House Science Fair

By: Caryn Robbins Apr. 13, 2016

Cartoon Network, a division of Turner, joined the White House today to celebrate the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of kids at the White House's annual Science Fair. Cartoon Network is collaborating with the White House on its Computer Science for All initiative, a movement focused on making coding and other hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning an integral part of every student's education.

To coincide with today's event, Cartoon Network released a trailer for an upcoming coding-themed episode of the recently premiered Powerpuff Girls series. The network also launched its first public service announcement focused on creative coding, which will be disseminated through the network's full range of media platforms.

"Today's kids engage more deeply and meaningfully with technology than any generation before them," said Christina Miller, president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, at today's Science Fair. "By learning creative coding, kids build important skills while unlocking their own creativity and self-expression. We are thrilled to partner with the White House and develop tools and resources that will help kids access the creative power of computer science."

The upcoming episode and PSA are part of Cartoon Network's overall $30 million commitment to inspire the next generation of creators by engaging with kids at the intersection of art and technology. The PSA is the first in a series that the network will release highlighting for kids that they can learn coding as a means to express ideas, craft stories and create art.

In THE POWERPUFF GIRLS episode, which will air later this year, the girls work together and use computer Science to solve a problem and face down a foe. This is part of the network's ongoing commitment to using its programming to promote creative coding to its audience.

"Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup always work as a team, using their strength and smarts to save the day," said Miller. "We hope that the Powerpuff Girls' adventures will inspire kids to work collaboratively, think creatively, and explore the power of coding."

Cartoon Network is also collaborating with Scratch, a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, to provide coding activities for kids through Scratch's creative coding environment that feature Cartoon Network characters from shows including THE POWERPUFF GIRLS and We Bare Bears.

Learn more about Cartoon Network's work to engage children in creative coding at www.cartoonnetwork.com.