Computer coding may be Greek to many of us, but kids in Mattapoisett are learning to unlock the language with the speed of a young Mark Zuckerberg.

Last week, students at Center School and Old Hammondtown School, along with millions worldwide, participated in the Hour of Code, an international initiative that helps people as young as 4 to learn coding through games and challenges.

“They literally become mesmerized,” said technology teacher Lisa Lourenco.

The schools first participated in the Hour of Code last year, and Lourenco said coding will only become more prevalent in schools as the demand for coders is projected to exceed the number of college graduates with the skill.

Lourenco said students were enthusiastic to participate.

“They look forward to it weeks before it gets here,” she said. “It’s exciting to teach them something that they’re really excited about.”

Learning to code is something even kindergarten students who can’t read can begin to master.

Beyond the technological aspects of programming, the Hour of Code also teaches kids useful skills, from perseverance to helping their peers.

“They’re not allowed to quit. They have to at least try four to five times. Most of them will try twenty before they’re willing to break down and ask,” said Lourenco.

Many of her students went home to continue the coding exercises on their own, and this year, Mattapoisett Library has a station set up where kids can code through the month of December.

Lourenco said computer programming will likely be integrated into the curriculum beyond the one week each year for the Hour of Coding.

Programming is an area where her students can already make an impact, she said. Lourenco tells her students about now-famous programmers such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg who began coding early.

She said, “Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you can’t do phenomenal things in this world.”