Like any language, learning to code is easier the younger you are, and with the number of technology-related jobs ever increasing, tri-town elementary schools are helping kids get a leg up with the Hour of Code.

Held the week of Dec. 5, the Hour of Code is an international initiative to engage students with computer coding through games and challenges for at least an hour during the week.

At Rochester Memorial School, the fourth graders have been coding for years.

“It's hard to learn, but once you get the hang of it, it's fun,” said Colin Mello.

When tri-town schools began participating in the Hour of Code, Library Media Specialist Sandi Sollauer said she was as green as the kids.

“Three years ago I had no idea what this was all about,” she said.

Sollauer has since studied up on coding and now educates her students on the usefulness of computer science, hopefully encouraging them to consider careers in the field.

“Kids say all the time, ‘We love computers. We love technology,’ but they're not going to school for it,” Sollauer said. “They say by the year 2020 there will be over one million [technology] jobs unfilled.”

In response to the staggering number, tri-town schools are increasing their technology curricula, as they give kids more access to computers, robotics and other tech-related lessons.

The libraries are no longer just for books, and Sollauer said coding is now part of her job.

Students, at least those in Stephanie Cyr's fourth grade class, also code during built in “flex time” throughout the year.

Camden Jeppson liked coding so much that he works on some of the same online coding programs at home that he has used at school.

“I just like to do random stuff,” he said.

On one program, kids design moving visuals using code. On another, they learn to direct a robot.

Gabriela Pinhancos said she wants to create video games one day, and that coding appeals to her because she has the freedom to create whatever she wants.

“I really like coding,” she said. “You can do it how you would like it.”