Utah STEM Action Center and Utah State Office of Education Partner on Computer Science Scale-Up
Salt Lake City, UT — The Utah STEM Action Center and the Utah State Office of Education announced a partnership with Code.org that will increase participation in computer science courses by women and underrepresented students of color.
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 courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.
“Our partnership with Code.org and the Utah STEM Action Center is another great example of how Utah is leveraging public-private partnerships to offer better educational opportunities for students,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brad C. Smith. “This partnership gives students a chance at a better, more prosperous future for themselves and a better, more prosperous future for Utah.”
The partnership will begin in November 2015 with a statewide call for applications for current classroom teachers who are interested in being trained in computer science. Students at these schools will have increased access to computer science courses, curriculum and resources. The partnership will also provide new opportunities for professional development and training for Utah teachers, in addition to creating a sustainable program via a community of support for the teachers.
“Code.org is excited to partner with both the Utah STEM Action Center and Utah State Office of Education to expand access to computer science. They are among our first state partners leading the nation in this movement,” said Cameron Wilson Chief Operating Office/VP Government Affairs of Code.org. “This partnership can help change the lives of Utah’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.”
This will be a three-year partnership to infuse Utah’s schools with more computer science teachers, expertise and leadership capacity. The goal is to transition the continued development of teachers back to the State after the partnership ends.
“The Utah STEM Action Center is committed to supporting students in their education and career efforts,” said Dr. Tamara Goetz, executive director of the Utah STEM Action Center. “This project with Code.org aligns with that commitment. It not only provides students exciting opportunities in computer sciences but also helps to address the talent needs of Utah’s growing and vibrant information technology and software companies.”
More information about Code.org is available on their website at http://code.org.
About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) charter is based on Governor Gary Herbert’s commitment to economic development statewide. Utah’s economic development vision is that Utah will lead the nation as the best performing economy and be recognized as the premier global business destination. The mandate for this office is to provide rich business resources for the creation, growth and recruitment of companies to Utah and to increase tourism and film production in the state. GOED accomplishes this mission through the administration of programs that are based around targeted industries or “economic clusters” that demonstrate the best potential for development. GOED utilizes state resources and private sector contracts to fulfill its mission. For more information please contact: Michael Sullivan, 801-538-8811 or mgsullivan@utah.gov
About the STEM Action Center
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Action Center works to develop Utah’s workforce of the future by prioritizing STEM education. The program drives research and implementation of STEM education best practices across Utah by coordinating STEM-related activities, creating and coordinating proven STEM education best practices, facilitating educator access to those tools, align public STEM education and higher STEM education activities.
Web: stem.utah.gov
