Test_AspireIT_Toolkit

AspireIT LogoThe NCWIT AspireIT Toolkit helps anyone interested in designing engaging and inclusive computer science experiences for K-12 students, with a focus on broadening the participation of girls, women, and other underrepresented populations. The Toolkit equips facilitators with the resources and support they need to create sustainable and lasting change in their communities.

Expand the sections below to explore. “I want to…”

Get inspired by activity ideas and real-life sample program materials, consider multiple program types to implement, and utilize “How-To Guides” for planning and facilitation.

There are three core values for which evaluation shows to foster effectiveness and lead to the greatest impact for participants and their communities: peer mentorship, inclusivity, and hands-on engagement. Click the button below to get a brief overview of each value to keep at the forefront while planning and running programs.

Core Values

Looking for inspirational, engaging activities for program participants? Get started with these resources and tutorials.

Teach Engineering is a FREE library of classroom-tested, standards-aligned K-12 STEM resources created in collaboration with educators across the nation. Teach Engineering helps educators put the ‘E’ in STEM by making applied science, technology, and math come alive through engineering design and design thinking.
 
To browse all STEM curriculum please see: https://www.teachengineering.org/
 
For computing specific K-12 activities please see: https://www.teachengineering.org/populartopics/view/computing

The CSforALL Curriculum Directory contains more than 115 activities focused on algorithms, data and analysis, and more.

The CSforALL mission is to make high-quality computer science an integral part of the educational experience of all K-12 students and teachers and to support student pathways to college and career success.

The Infosys Foundation USA Pathfinders Online Institute is a dynamic online learning platform with high-quality computer science and maker education content for students, teachers, and families. Create a free account to access a range of materials from various content providers.

Additionally, the Infosys Foundation USA generously funds the Broadening Participation in Computer Science (CS) Education webinar, a six-part series that provides educators and students with resources and recommendations for making computing education more inclusive for all.

  • Swift is a robust, open source programming language for building apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.
  • SwiftUI provides a way to declare user interfaces for any Apple platform through step-by-step tutorials.

CS First is a free computer science curriculum that makes coding easy to teach and fun to learn. Teachers are not required to have previous computer science experience, and CS First is always free! Students learn through video-based lessons, with different themes like sports, art, and game design.

  • Computer Science-in-a-Box: Unplug Your Curriculum
    Computer Science-in-a-Box: Unplug Your Curriculum introduces fundamental building blocks of computer science — without using computers. Use it with students ages 9 to 14 to teach lessons about how computers work, while addressing critical mathematics and science concepts such as number systems, algorithms, and manipulating variables and logic.
  • AgentCubes-in-a-Box: Introduce Computing Through Game Design
    Introduce students to computer science through AgentCubes, a powerful and engaging 2-D and 3-D programming tool. By completing the lessons in this program-in-a-box, your middle school students will learn to program their own games and simulation worlds, and in the process, learn the fundamentals of computer science.
  • e-Textiles-in-a-Box
    Use the e-Textiles-in-a-Box tutorial and get ready to teach young people about electronics and computing. Based on the Computational Textiles Curriculum and Sew Electric from MIT, e-Textiles-in-a-Box provides instructions for sewing soft circuits and programming an Arduino microprocessor on the way to creating a bookmark book light and an interactive felt monster that lights up and sings.

There are four main types of programs: afterschool programs, camps, hackathons, and community events. Which type is right for you? Review key characteristics of each, as well as real-life agendas and less plans from past AspireIT programs in the table below.

Program Type Description Audience Typical Individual Session Duration Typical Program Frequency
After-School
An after-school program engages participants after classes end, but before family members may be done with work. They can cover one topic in depth or touch lightly on a variety of areas, depending on how often they meet. Most meetings take place in a school or offsite at a library or community center.
View real-life examples
Grades K-12
45 – 90 min.
Daily or Weekly for 1 Quarter or Semester
Camp
A camp is a longer, in-depth program that allows you and your participants to take a deep dive into computing-related topic(s). Camps typically take place during the summer months or over longer holiday breaks throughout the school year.
View real-life examples
Grades K-12
4 – 8 hrs.
Daily for 1 Week to 1 Month
Hackathon
A hackathon is a sprint-like computing event where participants can collaborate on an individual project together. The goal of a hackathon is for the participants to have created functioning software or hardware towards the end of the event.
View real-life examples
Grades 6-12
4 – 8 hrs.
Daily for 1 Day – 1 Week
Community Event
One-day events (like Hour of Code) can be a great way to spark interest in your community, recruit participants, peer mentors and volunteers, and gain experience running programs.
hour of code
Grades K-12 and their families
1 – 4 hrs.
Daily for 1 – 2 days

*NOTE: Staffing and program costs vary greatly depending on: the number, age and experience level of participants, the content and type of technology required, and the comfort level of the facilitators. 

Asynchronous Demonstration

Regardless of your program type and whether your program is taking place virtually or in-person, participants learn at different speeds and asynchronous learning models can be very beneficial. Check out the following example from one of our amazing Community Members to see what this type of demonstration looks like in action.

Sanjitha Prabakaran is the Founder and CEO of STEM 4 Scouts, a non-profit program dedicated to bringing computer science education to Girl Scouts. They have helped over 3,000 Girl Scouts earn their STEM-related badges through in-person and virtual workshops. All materials used in STEM 4 Scouts virtual workshops are also housed in a Google Classroom that participants can access to independently complete their badges. Participants can then post questions and receive additional information about future opportunities.

In this tutorial, Sanjitha walks through some of the asynchronous materials that they offer to participants via Google Classroom and demonstrates a lesson plan utilizing basic javascript to create a fun meme.

These guides provide an overview of each step of the process — program planning, lesson design, facilitation, and reflection — and will help you stay on track with every facet of your program.

There are three core values for which evaluation shows to foster effectiveness and lead to the greatest impact for participants and their communities: peer mentorship, inclusivity, and hands-on engagement. Click the button below to get a brief overview of each value to keep at the forefront while planning and running programs.

Core Values

  • Download the Program Planning guide: PDF. An associated worksheet is also available for this guide:
    • Budget Worksheet .xls
  • Download the Lesson Design guide: PDF. Associated worksheets are also available for this guide:
    • Program Goal Setting Worksheet (PDF)
    • Lesson Worksheet (PDF)
  • Download the Facilitation guide: PDF.
  • Download the Impact and Reflection Guide: PDF. Associated sample survey questions are also available for this guide:
    • Retrospective Pre/Post Survey – Grades 4-12 (PDF)
    • Post-Only Survey – Grades 4-12 (PDF)
    • Optional Survey Questions – Grades 4-12 (PDF)
    • Post-Only Survey – Grades K-3 (PDF)
    • Guide to Demographic Survey Questions (PDF)

Utilize the NCWIT resources below to help inform yourself, participants, volunteers, and parents on the importance of computer science education for K-12 students, with a focus on broadening the participation of girls, women, and other underrepresented populations.

Tell others about what you are doing! Download this Promotion Ideas document for ideas and resources on how to get press coverage.

  • Peer and Faculty Mentors – While geared towards graduate students, this resource takes a deep dive into peer mentors, their roles, and how to set up a peer-mentoring program

  • Engagement Practices Framework – Collaborative Learning

  • The Beautiful Noise of Peer Instruction – Although the interview is focused on higher education, it is still a useful resource for peer instruction.

  • Pair Programming-in-a-Box: The Power of Collaborative Learning – Pair programming is a collaborative learning method in which students program in pairs instead of individually. This approach significantly improves college students’ programming competency and increases the likelihood that both male and female students become and remain computer science majors.

  • SciGirls Strategies Research Final Report – A research study that dives into the engagement of role models being a significant and complex factor in the development of positive STEM-related identity for girls.

Connect with educators, mentors, and volunteers; get involved with NCWIT programs; and find local opportunities—all to help you and your participants succeed.

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC)

Get involved with an expansive program that turn barriers into possibilities for women, genderqueer, or non-binary students through exclusive awards, scholarships, internships, and communities—building leadership and technical skills.

Follow @NCWITAiC on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to stay in the loop about the latest news and events, and to get inspired. Looking for more ways to connect with like-minded high school, college, and early career women in tech, as well as their allies and advocates? Email [email protected] to apply or sign up for virtual channels and feeds.

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NCWIT Counselors for Computing (C4C)

Connect with counselors and others in advising roles to gain professional development, knowledge, and resources for giving all students access to transformative computing education and careers.

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Tune In

Participate in free webinars that address the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful and influential participation in tech innovation and development.
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The Connectory

Find other STEM opportunities in your area.
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VolunteerMatch

Find potential volunteers in your area.
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Fab Fems

Find a female role model in STEM.
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AspireIT Match

(COMING SOON!) Connect with Aspirations in Computing Community members in your area to help assist with the peer-mentorship aspect of your program.
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