Professional Development
Infosys NSF DonorsChoose Partner on Computer Science Professional Development Initiative
Infosys Foundation USA has partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and DonorsChoose.org to launch the Computer Science [CS] for All Community Giving program, which will provide as many as 2,000 teachers with professional development in computer science education.
Through
the program, grade 6-12 public school teachers can create
project requests to attend computer science professional development
programs. Local communities can sponsor those requests, and Infosys
Foundation USA will match the community-funded donations.
When
teachers create the project requests, they can select one of the
professional development programs associated with the initiative. Some
of the evidence-based frameworks that teachers will have the
opportunity to access through this program include Exploring Computer Science (ECS), CS Principles and Bootstrap, all of which were developed with support from the NSF.
Together,
Infosys Foundation USA and the NSF have committed $6 million to define
an end-to-end approach to computer science education, develop new
evidence-based curricula and develop sustainable funding mechanisms to
ensure teachers are trained effectively in computer science
instruction, according to a news release.
According to
information from Infosys Foundation USA, this program has the potential
to affect up to 60,000 students in the first academic year and will
"especially benefit teachers and students in districts with significant
funding challenges and limited or no access to computer science
education," stated a news release.
"This CS for All community
giving model pioneers a sustainable funding approach that puts the
power back in the hands of the stakeholders — teachers, students,
citizens and especially parents," said Vandana Sikka, chairperson of
Infosys Foundation USA, in a prepared statement. "Skills learned
through CS education are essential for success in tomorrow's workforce.
Investing in CS professional development and training the teachers
creates a multiplier effect that expands the learning opportunities for
our students especially in under-served communities. The crowd-funding
dimension of this initiative has the potential to be transformational.
It accelerates the impact of this public-private funding and enables us
to solve the CS teacher shortage in a unique new way."
Further information about the Computer Science [CS] for All Community Giving program can be found on the DonorsChoose.org site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at leilameyer@gmail.com.