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Overview

This project scales existing projects with northern Minnesota school districts to continue their work in developing K12 CS pathways. It will support an additional 7 districts over 4 years in creating or enhancing their K12 CS pathways. From 2023 to 2027, leaders from the University of Minnesota and eight Minnesota school districts will work to build sustainable and equitable K-12 CS learning progressions (pathways) for students. This grant focuses on supporting schools that serve rural or tribal communities. This project is funded by NSF grant 1923369.

Project Outcomes

This project addresses the challenge of ensuring youth in rural and tribal schools have access to computer science education from kindergarten to 12th grade. Our project outcomes include:

Setting up a network of 8 schools in rural and tribal areas. School leaders will learn, collaborate, and share ideas about CS education.
Project collaborators will develop inclusive K-8 lessons that integrate CS concepts into course topics and align with Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) standards.
Connecting Ojibwe language and culture with computer science. Through collaborations, we'll build and support learning materials and resources that connect Indigenous knowledge with CS learning.
Supporting schools to make lasting computer science programs from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Equity Definition

Equity in CS for our project means providing every student inclusive and high-quality instruction in CS and that each student has access to resources and supports they uniquely need to succeed in CS.

Equity in computer science education:

Involves recognizing and addressing the diverse backgrounds, strengths, and challenges of all students.
Acknowledges the systemic injustices and barriers that have historically limited access and opportunities for certain groups.
Ensures that every learner has access to the resources, support, and opportunities necessary to achieve their full potential by creating inclusive curricula, fostering a welcoming classroom environment, and implementing teaching practices that honor and build upon each student’s unique experiences and knowledge.

Who's Involved?

Northern Lights Collaborative for Computing Education is a University of Minnesota group leading efforts to advance computer science education across Minnesota and nationally. Researchers in the collaborative, part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), aim to create a just and equitable society where computing education is universally accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the unique needs and aspirations of all learners and educators.

In 2023-24 four school districts are involved in this grant. See the District Resources tab for a link to the districts, their resources, and a description of each.

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