Hour of Code
Hosting Elected Ofﬁcials
ToolkitDecember 5-11, 2022

Host an elected ofﬁcial at your Hour of CodeTogether, we can change the face of education. We can ensure every student has theopportunity to learn how to create technology, not just use it. We can give them afoundation for success in any 21st-century career path. It can begin with an Hour ofCode.
The Hour of Code aims to introduce computer science early—it sparks students’ interestin the CS opportunities you are bringing to their schools. Hosting a local elected ofﬁcialat your Hour of Code event can be a great way to connect with policymakers, promote
Computer Science education, and connect ofﬁcials with the students and teachers they
represent. This toolkit will help ensure your event runs smoothly and effectively. If you
need assistance inviting an elected ofﬁcial, check out our additional resources.

Before the event
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Coordinate both the point person from your event (e.g., school administrator) and for the elected ofﬁcial
attending (e.g., staffer or scheduler). Ensure both parties have each other’s contact information for the dayof the event.
Know who will be responsible for coordinating media invitations. It could be the school, the district, theofﬁcial’s ofﬁce, or any combination.
Secure media waivers for any classrooms or events with students the ofﬁcial will attend, per yourstate/district/school policy.
Create a speciﬁc agenda for the day, and make sure all parties participating (teachers, students,administrators, elected ofﬁcials and their staff) are aware of what is happening and when. See ourresources for sample plans. Things to consider:○What is each participant doing during each part of the event?
○Will the ofﬁcial sit with one student, or rotate between many students during the event? (You maywant to coordinate this ahead of time with the ofﬁcial’s staffer.)○
Will the ofﬁcial speak to the students as a group?
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Plan ﬂexibility into the agenda. What if the ofﬁcial is running late? What if some students ﬁnish
their activity before others?
Create a brieﬁng document that you can send to the ofﬁcial ahead of time. Include event dress code, whowill greet them, which classroom or event they will attend with teacher’s name, and agenda for the event.
Conﬁrm date, time, location, and agenda with ofﬁcial’s staff 72 hours prior to the event.
Review the agenda and test all technology the day before and day of the event to ensure the event runs
smoothly.

During the event
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Greet the elected ofﬁcial at the door of the event to show them to the activity and answer any questions
they may have. (It is always great to have a student help greet!
Take pictures during the event to commemorate the visit, and to post on your organization’s social media
networks (within any publicity or privacy policies that may apply).
Answer any questions the ofﬁcial may have, keeping in mind it’s ok to say “I don’t know!” Ofﬁcials are mostlyinterested in your experience with Computer Science.
Make sure the agenda is running smoothly, and that it remains on track to end on time so the ofﬁcial may
get to any other visits or meetings he/ she may have scheduled.
Thank the ofﬁcial for their time (especially great for students to do) and offer to answer any follow-up
questions they may have.

After the event
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Thank the ofﬁcial for their time (especially great for students to do) and offer to answer any follow-up
questions they may have.
Post pictures, videos, or notable quotes from the day on social media (within publicity or privacy policies
that may apply).
Send the ofﬁcial a follow-up note of thanks.
Follow up with the staff point person on each side for feedback on how to make next year’s event evenbetter!
Make sure the agenda is running smoothly, and that it remains on track to end on time so the ofﬁcial may
get to any other visits or meetings he/she may have scheduled.

The Hour of Code is organized by Code.org, a public non-proﬁt dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women andstudents from other underrepresented groups. The Hour of Code is celebrated during the annual Computer Science Education Week in December. Code.org®, theCODE logo and Hour of Code™ are trademarks of Code.org.