Five Cities Join the National Effort to Accelerate Computer Science Education
CSforALL announces a second cohort of the Accelerator program featuring five new communities from across the country
For Immediate Release media@csforall.org
New York, NY (Friday, September 22, 2023) — CSforALL today announced five cities selected for a two-year commitment in the second cohort of the Accelerator Program. The participating cities along with community partners are dedicated to advancing their K-12 education systems in their local communities by progressing towards equitable computer science education access and career pathways for all students.
The second Accelerator cohort is building on the success of the initial cohort that was launched in 2022. CSforALL will continue its work to raise awareness about the importance of computer science education with the additional five new cities. The Accelerator’s second national cohort comprises five communities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Georgia; Oakland, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Springfield, Vermont.
“As we embark on year two of CSforALL’s Accelerator program, we are committed to igniting a new spark of curiosity that will empower students and ensure educators have the training and tools they need to transform their local communities with computer science education,” said Bernell Murray, Program Leader, CSforALL. “With Accelerator’s new cohort, we are excited to engage with new community partnerships in the five cities across the nation and continue the work to move the CS education needle forward for all.”
With the support of CSforALL, the local partnerships will enable an ecosystem that, together, empowers educators and communities to embed computer science education knowledge, skills, and opportunities for all students to have access regardless of their background or available resources.
“Participating in the second cohort of the CSforALL Accelerator program marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to bring the best educational opportunities to our students,” said Superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District Dr. Daniel Castagna. “We are proud to be part of this initiative that aims to increase computer science learning for all.”
The communities are composed of three types of stakeholders: local public school district, a university or teacher preparation institution, and an out-of-school time provider. This representation ensures a comprehensive approach to addressing computer science education equity and opportunity.
“OUSD [Oakland Unified School District] has had a deep commitment to Computer Science for the past nine years, so we’re excited to be part of the CSforALL Accelerator to continue to keep pushing ourselves forward by providing more equitable access to CS across our district,” said Computer Science Specialist Chantel Parnell. “We hope to gain the opportunity to connect, collaborate and learn from other districts, as well as support and resources to continue to grow our CS programs.”
Each of the participating cities and community partners in the inaugural cohort of the Accelerator, which launched in June 2022, made progress towards increased access to interest-driven CS learning opportunities. The progress and initial findings from the first cohort of the Accelerator can be found and reviewed in the June-December 2022 CSforALL Accelerator Cohort 1 Impact report. The CSforALL Accelerator Program is supported by Capital One; additional supporters to be acknowledged in the upcoming months.
The CSforALL Accelerator Program is a public-private partnership led by CSforALL in collaboration with sponsors, local community supporters, and institutions, including:
Accelerator Program Sponsor: Capital One; additional supporters to be acknowledged in the upcoming months.
Community Supporters:
Cohort Community Institutions: Oakland Unified School District (Oakland), River Valley Technical Center (Springfield), Woodland Hills School District (Pittsburgh)
About CSforALL: CSforALL is the national hub of the computer science for all movement with a mission to make high-quality computer science an integral part of K-12 education in the United States. We engage with diverse stakeholders leading computer science initiatives across the nation to support and facilitate the implementation of rigorous, inclusive, and sustainable computer science.
For more information: www.csforall.org Twitter: @CSforALL
