Computer Science Collaboration Project
April 2013

The vision of the Computer Science Collaboration Project is to efficiently increase participation of underrepresented groups in computer science opportunities and activities by effectively building collaborations between K-12, community-based organizations, higher education and industry. 

 Project Updates 

group working on computer together CSCP at the 2013 Annual Conference of the Association for Computing Machinery's (ACM) Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education (SIGCSE)
At the SIGCSE Annual Conference in March, Jill Denner (CSCP Co-Principal Investigator) presented at an interactive, NSF sponsored showcase on interdisciplinary collaboration. The title of her presentation was "Collaboration across Disciplines and Organizations: Enhancing Research on Diversity and Equity in K-12 Computer Science Education." The presentation focused on how computer science education efforts must include collaborations that reach across organizations, including non-profit research agencies, schools, community-based programs, and faculty and students from multiple departments in universities. The presentation included a description of the partnerships involved in CSCP, and the resources generated, including the list of Exemplary Practices for Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth in Computer Science, webinars, and the Program Directory.

 

CSCP at the CSUN, NAPE PDI & PAC RIM Conferences

For the last two months, members of the CSCP Engaging Youth with Disabilities Leadership Team and CSCP mini-grant recipients have been busy presenting overviews of CSCP and collaborative tools and resources to engage youth with disabilities in computer science. In March, CSCP presented at the California State University-Northridge (CSUN) Center on Disabilities' Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference in San Diego, California, in partnership with the Alliance for Access to Computing Careers (AccessComputing). In April, CSCP's presentation at the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity's Professional Development Institute in Washington, DC, included an overview of the SMARTer Boards: Girls Solve Accessibility Issues mini-grant project led by the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support. Also in April, at the Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity in Honolulu, Hawaii, the CSCP and the National Girls Collaborative Project models, along with tools and resources to strengthen efforts to engage youth with disabilities and other underrepresented youth in STEM, were presented. 

 

Archived Webinars

Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth in Computer Science: Mini-Grantee Showcase

To provide incentive and support to collaborate, the CSCP funded several collaborative mini-grant projects focused on engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) youth in computer science  through the use of Exemplary Practices that include cultural competency, family involvement, computer science content, and broadening the image of computer science. This webinar included a panel of mini-grantees from around the country who shared exemplary practices, program models, low-cost strategies and resources, along with challenges and successes.

Archived recording: http://www.cscproject.org/?q=node/75

 

Engaging Youth with Disabilities in Computer Science: Mini-Grantee Showcase

In October 2011, the CSCP offered funding for mini-grant proposals engaging youth with disabilities in computer science opportunities through collaborative projects. Funded projects brought together over 36 cross-sector organizations across 6 states to address accessibility issues and empower youth to create new technologies. This webinar included a panel of mini-grantees from around the country who shared promising practices and program models.

Archived recording: http://www.cscproject.org/?q=node/75

Computer Science Events

NCWIT Summit on Women and IT

Tucson, AZ

May 20-22, 2013

The NCWIT Summit on Women and IT is the pre-eminent destination for learning about leading-edge research on curriculum, outreach, recruitment, retention, and advocacy efforts across the entire CS and IT pipeline. This annual event brings together leaders, change agents, and stakeholders to focus on research-driven practices that strengthen the computing workforce and promote technology innovation by increasing the participation of girls and women.

Register: http://www.ncwit.org/summit

 

U.S. News STEM Solutions

Austin, TX

June 17-19, 2013

Leaders in business, education, and government will convene to advance the agenda for national change in STEM education, policy and workforce development. Conference sessions will focus on targeted outcomes that create an impact to fill jobs now and advance the future of the STEM workforce.

Register: http://usnewsstemsolutions.com

 

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Annual Conference and Exposition

San Antonio, TX

June 23-26, 2013

The ISTE Annual Conference and Exposition provides opportunities for educators to learn how to improve education through effective use of technology. Participants are invited to attend sessions, keynote and panel presentations, try out emerging educational technology solutions in the expo hall, extend personal learning networks and collaborate with educators passionate about using technology to engage students.

Register: http://www.iste.org/conference/iste-conference

 

Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Annual Conference
Quincy, Massachusetts

July 15-16, 2013

The 2013 CSTA Annual Conference (formerly known as the Computer Science & Information Technology (CS&IT) Conference) provides professional development opportunities for K-12 computer science and computer applications educators looking for practical, relevant information to help prepare their students for the future.

Register: www.cstaconference.org

 

Computer Science for High School (CS4HS) Summer Workshops  

CS4HS is an initiative sponsored by Google to promote Computer Science and Computational Thinking in high school and middle school curriculum. Registration is currently available for the following Summer Workshops:

Stanford University, June 27-28, 2013

http://cs4hs.stanford.edu

Carnegie Mellon, July 31-August 2, 2013

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/cs4hs/summer13

 
Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Corner

Get Ready for CSTA 2013:  For 13 years CSTA's Computer Science & Information Technology (CS&IT) conference has been the premier professional development event for computer science teachers. This year, the event moves to a whole new level with a new name and many more opportunities for teachers to learn, engage, and network.

 

The newly-named 2013 CSTA Annual Conference has been expanded to include more hands-on workshops (10), more pre- and post-conference events (in-conjunction with leadership and advocacy workshops), more chances to chat with sponsors (sponsor tables), and more fun (an evening event at Microsoft's New England Research and Development Center and the great secret shopper raffle).

 
The Conference Planning Committee has created an exciting agenda of 20 breakout sessions and two keynotes. This year CSTA received 98 proposals, each of which was reviewed by several reviewers. This allowed them to build an incredibly strong and varied agenda. Registration for the conference is now open and you can find all the details (including the tentative agenda, housing, and transportation) on the CSTA website at: www.cstaconference.org. See you at CSTA 2013!
 
CSCP Program Directory - Register Your Program Today!

The CSCP Program Directory lists organizations and programs that focus on motivating underrepresented youth to pursue careers in computer science. (If your program is in the NGCP Program Directory, it has automatically been included in the CSCP Program Directory.) 

 

The purpose of the CSCP Program Directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and collaborate on computer science related projects. The Directory contains Program descriptions, resources available within each organization, Program and/or organization needs, and contact information. Submitted entries undergo review and verification prior to publication.

 

Register your program: http://www.cscproject.org/index.php?q=pd/newprogram

 

Resources

Computacion, Creatividad, y Comunidad (Computation, Creativity, and Community): Family Computer Science Nights 

This CSCP mini-grant aimed to increase the interest in computer science among the Hispanic community served by Santa Fe Public Schools and to increase the circle of support for Hispanic students interested in pursuing future endeavors in computer science. Learn how Family Computer Science Nights brought together students and their parents to explore computer science activities together.

http://www.cscproject.org/?q=node/646   

 

Code LogoCode.org

Code.org is a nonprofit dedicated to the vision that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn to code. Code.org developed a short video with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, among others, to help motivate students to learn to code, and a database of classrooms and programs that teaches computer programming.

 

Thinkersmith Traveling Circuits Curriculum

Thinkersmith has developed curriculum, geared toward girls and non-traditional students. The lessons highlight the creativity, passion, and self-expression in computational thinking and aim to take the intimidation out of computer science, through real-world activities. The curriculum aims to prepare students to move into ECS (Exploring Computer Science) or another straightforward programming curriculum by the fifth grade.

http://travelingcircuits.blogspot.com

 

Afterschool STEM Impact Awards

The Afterschool Alliance is recognizing exemplary afterschool STEM programs serving young people (grades 4-8) with two $10,000 Afterschool STEM Impact Awards. One award will be given to an afterschool program that has a strong computing and/or engineering component. Submission deadline is May 15, 2013.

Apply: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/STEM-impactawards.cfm

 

DeafTEC

DeafTEC is a Center of Excellence, funded by NSF, that focuses on a particular audience, deaf and hard-of-hearing students, rather than on a technical discipline. The DeafTEC website offers programs, information and resources for teachers, students and employers including an online STEM ASL dictionary, strategies for addressing instructional challenges and access issues, and a project that enables deaf and hard of hearing students to earn college credit in STEM-related courses while they are still in high school.

http://www.deaftec.org 

 

Stanford MobiSocial Computing Lab Video Competition

The MobiSocial Computing Lab at Stanford University has announced a video competition for high-school students, as part of its outreach program to get students interested in computing. Students are encouraged to collaborate and enter the competition as a group. Each winning group will receive a $1000 scholarship. Videos should be submitted via the MobiSocial Facebook page. Submission deadline is May 20, 2013.

http://mobisocial.stanford.edu

 

Tapestry Workshop Series

High school computer science teachers are invited to apply to attend summer Tapestry Workshops, focused on attracting and engaging diverse high school students to computer science. Workshops will be tuition-free with lodging and meals provided.

http://www.tapestryworkshop.org 

 

Where are the STEM Students? What are their Career Interests? Where are the STEM Jobs?

This report, released by STEMconnector and myCollegeOptions, profiles the national high school student population, including over 1 million students interested in STEM careers, and combines the data with the current STEM job outlook and projections of STEM-related jobs by 2018.

http://www.stemconnector.org/sites/default/files/store/STEM-Students-STEM-Jobs-Executive-Summary.pdf

 

Afterschool Matters focuses on STEM

The Spring 2013 issue of Afterschool Matters focuses on STEM learning in afterschool. The articles present program models, lessons learned, and new perspectives on a variety of topics within STEM in afterschool. The issue includes an article on integrating mathematics into programs at public libraries for elementary grades.

http://niost.org/Afterschool-Matters/afterschool-matters-spring-2013

DO-IT Logo 

DO-IT Scholarship Web Page for Youth with Disabilities
DO-IT has a new web page with information about scholarships, including deadlines, award amounts, and eligibility. Using an interactive sorting tool, you can filter scholarships by disability or other criteria. 

http://www.washington.edu/doit/Student/scholarships.html

 

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