Johnston County Schools will soon be working with Code.org as part of a partnership that will aim to increase participation in computer science courses by women and underrepresented students of various ethnic backgrounds.
Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding computer science education by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and minorities. Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to have access to computer science education. Code.org believes computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.
“Code.org is excited to partner with Johnston County Schools to expand access to computer science. They are among the handful of districts leading the nation in this movement,” said Cameron Wilson of Code.org. “This partnership can help change the lives of the district’s’ students by preparing them to think critically about real world problems and put them on a pathway toward the highest demand jobs in the U.S. economy.”
The partnership will begin in the fall of 2015-16 school year with a special training happening in Chicago, July 17-19. The district plans to expand the use of Computer Science curriculum and activities to interested technology teachers, media coordinators and classroom teachers in the 22 elementary schools. Students at these schools will have increased access to computer science activities, curriculum and resources. The partnership will also provide new opportunities for professional development and training for other interested Johnston County Schools K-5 teachers, in addition to creating a sustainable program via a community of support for the teachers.
“Our district is excited to have this opportunity to expand our student’s exposure to Computer Science at such an early age,” said Dr. Ed Croom, Superintendent of Johnston County Schools. “We hope this exposure will assist their growth into productive 21st Century learners and be the spark that fosters a flame for their learning.”
