At this unique CS+ intersection, a project called Barbershop Computing aims to broaden participation and reshape computer science education based on the cultural, economic, historical, social, and technological aspects of Black barbers and barbershops in the U.S. This collaboration between the South Carolina Department of Education, the Barbering Department at the Fairfield Career and Technology Center, and the College of Education at Michigan State University aims to rethink uni-directional broadening participation strategies of only recruiting African American youth into computing classrooms by also designing and implementing computing education in settings where African American children are already spending time. The goal is to expand the possibilities for what computing education can look and feel like by enrolling professional barbers in educators’ and researchers’ efforts to broaden participation.
