About Us

Our Mission

To maximize the innate potential of every student through a computer science education defined by equity, empowerment, and opportunity.

Our students will become global citizens who understand the ubiquity of computing. We will give students the tools they need to revolutionize their communities, our nation, and the world.

Our Philosophy

inquiry

Instead of delivering prepackaged lectures, teachers engage students with questions designed to stimulate their curiosity about the way the world works.

equity

We seek to provide meaningful educational opportunities to teachers and students who typically encounter barriers to access computer science. We believe that every child should have the support they need to pursue knowledge.

content

We believe in a holistic approach to computer science that goes beyond programming, and opens students' eyes to the demands and opportunities of a digital society.

Our Story

In 2008, a small group of educators within CPS came together to advocate for the growth of computer science education in Chicago. What began as the very first Computer Science 4 All (CS4All) movement in the nation has grown into a full-fledged Office of Computer Science (OCS) at CPS. As OCS has grown, CPS has emerged as a national leader in Computer Science education, partnering with innovators in Los Angeles to adopt its paradigm-shifting curriculum Exploring Computer Science to ensure that students who graduate into a digital world can thrive there.

As of 2019, we've trained 1,000 new teachers and put computer science in over 300 schools. We believe that from the moment a student steps into Kindergarten, until they fulfill the nation's very first high school computer science graduation requirement, our students should receive preparation to shape the world's technology.

From its inception, OCS has made equity a core piece of our department's mission. Through our efforts to support communities which have historically been underrepresented in the field of computer science, we're working to make sure that computer science education in Chicago is a place that propels all of our students toward success.