WATCH: Can Bill Gates, will.i.am, and Mark Zuckerberg inspire a new generation of coders?

Code.org taps a few big names to get kids to consider a career in the computer sciences

Will.i.am
(Image credit: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for TRANS4M)

Ask a kid what she wants to be when she grows up, and she'll probably say something ambitious — astronaut! president! — or practical and ubiquitous — lawyer! doctor! But ask directly if our little bright-eyed youngster would consider a career as a computer programmer, and she's likely to respond: "Huh?"

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.