Charleston, W.Va. (WVDN) — The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) will welcome 12 schools to the State Capitol for the third annual Country Roads Codes Day on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. in the Upper Rotunda. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their computer science and engineering expertise and projects to members of the West Virginia Legislature and the visiting public.
Each year during the West Virginia Legislature’s December interim meetings, the WVDE invites students to showcase their computer science skills and learning at Country Roads Codes. Activities include student-led robotics demonstrations, AI innovations and coding presentations.
“We have designed this event to allow students to engage with our state leaders and share how they apply classroom learning in practical ways,” said State Superintendent Michele L. Blatt. “To watch young students code, build and display their projects and then confidently explain them to our legislators is impressive. The critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills that computer science instruction provides our students could not be better represented than what we see at the event. I am grateful for the teachers across the Mountain State who have realized the potential of their students and are fostering a love of learning that extends beyond the classroom.”
West Virginia ranks 15th nationally for the availability of computer science courses to high school students, according to the 2024 State of Computer Science Education report. To date, 78% of the state’s high school students have access to computer science instruction. West Virginia was the third state, behind California and Oregon, to release official guidance on the use of AI in K-12 classrooms. With the passage of House Bill 2411 (2025), computer science will become a graduation requirement beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year.
Working in partnership with West Virginia University’s CodeWV initiative, participating schools are dedicated to supporting the next generation of digital creators with computer science and AI.
The 2025 Country Road Codes participants include:
|
School
|
County
|
| Moorefield High School | Hardy County |
| Cross Lanes Elementary School | Kanawha County |
| Lincoln County High School | Lincoln County |
| McDowell County Career and Technology Center | McDowell County |
| Mercer County Technical Education Center | Mercer County |
| Mylan Park Elementary School | Monongalia County |
| Westwood Middle School | Monongalia County |
| Teays Valley Christian School | Putnam County |
| Cranberry-Prosperity Elementary School | Raleigh County |
| Ridgeview Elementary School | Raleigh County |
| Shady Spring Elementary School | Raleigh County |
| Hacker Valley Elementary School | Webster County |
Invited speakers include Superintendent Blatt, West Virginia Senate President Randy Smith and West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw.
To learn more about computer science instruction, visit the WVDE website.
