WINSLOW — St. John Regional Catholic School, 15 South Garand St., recently participated in the Hour of Code, a national initiative which aims to promote computer science education in schools while teaching younger children the basics of computer programming. The school, pre-K-grade 6, paired off younger and older students to work together on computer-based tutorials, according to a St. John Catholic School press release.

“We want our students to have experiences that provide them with the ability to integrate computer technology into their everyday lives,” said Claudette Massey, principal of St. John Regional Catholic School, in the release. “It cannot be just about word processing. Experiences like this whet the students’ appetites for deepening their technology skills and can potentially open up career options for them in Maine.”

The Hour of Code was sponsored by Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, LinkedIn and over 100 other partners. The entertaining, self-directed classroom activities demystified the process of computer programming and the field of computer science for many participants.

“The tech lab was buzzing,” said Massey in the release. “Every student was fully engaged with the game-like sessions as they navigated through the mazes and figured out the code. Our hope is that such programs provide the impetus for going further and having more career options.”