CodeCrew, based in Memphis, counsels underrepresented youth and adults alike to be tech innovators and leaders through various summer camps, in-school electives and after-school programs, internships, as well as special events. CSforALL strives to make computer science an integral part of all K-12 students' and teachers' lives. CodeCrew and CSforALL will share this almost $1 million dollars in grants to increase computer science education in K-12 schools in 70 school districts throughout the state of Tennessee.
This three-year grant will leverage SCRIPT — Strategic CSforALL Resource and Implementation Planning Tool — to facilitate local training throughout Tennessee. CodeCrew will implement the training in the Spring of 2022. “CodeCrew is excited to have landed our first NSF grant with our partners at CSforALL,” said Meka Egwuekwe, CodeCrew Executive Director, in a press release. “Our work will increase and positively impact computer science education on a statewide level. Computer science education is foundational, and this grant will help ensure we are strategic as we guide Tennessee school districts in bringing the incredible value of computer science education to our state’s students.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, information technology jobs are projected to grow 13 percent in the next ten years, which is faster than the average growth of all jobs. Presently, only 50% of the Tennessee schools teach computer science and this grant aims to increase access and opportunities in computer science education across the state. This grant comes in at the right time when there are a couple of Bills -- requiring all Tennessee school districts to offer accessible computer science classes -- are due to be taken up in the next legislative session. “The jobs of today and tomorrow increasingly rely on technology,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in a press release. “This NSF grant and its focus on preparing school districts across the state to teach computer science aligns closely with our Future Workforce Initiative. With both of these innovative initiatives statewide, we intend to make Tennessee a top state for job creation in STEM.”
Learn more about CodeCrew here code-crew.org
Learn more about CSforALL here csforall.org