My Story: Around 2018-2019 my class was introduced to Scratch by my computer lab teacher. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused school closures in 2020, others and I used Scratch in our free time to socialize, express ourselves using projects, and generally be productive inside. By the age of 10, I was learning how to code and design my own minigames on the Scratch platform. However over the past few years, the school district has slowly removed those privileges by blocking our messages, preventing us from commenting, and finally blocking Scratch all together. I wish that one day our school district would unblock Scratch so we can freely express ourselves and make more projects, turning our free time productive.

What Is Scratch: Scratch, developed by Professor Mitchell Resnick and his Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, proves to be an engaging platform for learning programming. It is designed especially for ages 8 to 16 but is used by people of all ages. True to the spirit of logical learning and creative thought, it has been translated into more than 70 languages and is used in most parts of the world.

Information: According to Code.org, 90% of parents want their child to study computer science, highlighting the demand and emphasis on learning programming from an early age. With Scratch accounting for 22% of computer science projects shared online, its significance cannot be underrated in providing a viable platform for youngsters interested in coding.

Conclusion: The ban of Scratch in the Greenville County School District keeps us from learning, innovating, and unleashing our creativity. I wish for the school to overturn this ban so we can use it to learn how to code, express ourselves, and use it for fun during freetime. Sign this petition and support us in restoring this vital educational tool, allowing us to continue learning and developing our skills on Scratch.

Sources:

https://scratchfoundation.org/our-story

https://code.org/districts