On October 6, the world got a double dose of computer science education awareness. Wednesday saw the launch of Computing in the Core, a “non-partisan advocacy coalition” designed to raise the profile of computer science education and elevate it to a core academic subject in K-12 education. It also marked the launch of the ACM/CSTA report, “Running on Empty: The Failure to Teach K-12 Computer Science in the Digital Age,” which paints a stark picture of the “paradox” in the U.S. wherein a lack of and decline in rigorous computing education conflicts with a growing need for students who can fill computing-related jobs.
The goal of Computing in the Core, or CinC, is to strengthen computing education and ensure that it is a core subject for students in the 21st century. Findings from the Running on Empty report provide stark evidence for the need to improve computing education: for example, two-thirds of states in the U.S. have few or no standards for teaching computing; only 10 states allow computer science courses to count towards graduation credit; and NO states require a computing course for graduation from high school. Paradoxically, the U.S. Department of Labor projections estimate more than 1.4 million computing-related jobs will be added to the workforce by 2018.
Wednesday’s launch event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. included Norm Augustine, chair of the “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” committee, which five years later has released a revised version of the report that predicts a bleak outlook for U.S. innovation and competitiveness without drastic changes. U.S. Department of Education Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement James Shelton bemoaned the fact that computer science was never explicitly included in support from the STEM Education Coalition. Lucy Sanders of NCWIT spoke about having too few computing teachers in too few schools, and the need to increase and diversify the talent pool of students who study computing at the secondary level.
The CinC coalition, which includes many of our own members (NCWIT as well as the Anita Borg Institute, ACM, CRA, CSTA, Google, and Microsoft), is just one of several efforts underway this fall to improve computing education. Representative Jared Polis (CO-2) recently introduced H.R. 5929, The Computer Science Education Act, to expand access to high-quality computer science education for all students. In addition, Congress has re-authorized the recognition of December 5-11, 2010, as Computer Science Education Week. There is increasing momentum and support for recognizing the importance of computing, and we hope that you will carry some of this momentum into your own organizations. Read more about these initiatives in the links below, and in the coming months, keep an eye out for more ways you can get involved with our growing computing community.
Computing in the Core: www.computinginthecore.org
CSTA/ACM “Running on Empty” report: www.acm.org/runningonempty
Computer Science Education Week: www.csedweek.org
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Act and advocate for more inclusive computing learning experiences. Encourage and inspire students to explore computing pathways that match their interests and abilities.
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K-12 Programs
Inspire and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, equip K-12 and higher education influencers, and foster virtual and in-person communities at local, regional, and national levels.
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Higher Education Resources
Build consensus for action amongst colleagues, leaders, and advisors to create momentum for measurable, sustainable change within computing departments and institutions.
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Higher Education Programs
Recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
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Higher Ed Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside faculty, staff, administrators, department heads, and other mentors nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
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Employ strategic approaches that avoid the typical pitfalls of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion interventions.
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- Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
- BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
- Color of Our Future
Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
- Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
- Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
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Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
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NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
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Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
- Sit With Me
Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Tech Inclusion Journey
Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
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The NCWIT Summit: where conversations lead to change is the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.
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