BPC-LSA: The Computer Science Collaboration Project

Edlab Group Foundation, Lynnwood WA

Investigators

Abstract

The Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology proposes the Computer Science Collaboration (CSC) Project, which will build capacity among K-12 programs that aim to increase diversity in computing. Many K-12 organizations and activities are designed to address the continuing underrepresentation in computing among people with disabilities, women, and certain racial/ethnic minorities. Yet we have seen few gains in representation among these groups. This is, at least in part, due to the isolation of outreach organizations and their inconsistent capacity to access and implement best practices. The CSC Project aims to change this by building collaborations and connections between existing programs. It will use the most successful elements of the National Girls Collaborative Project to work with the Alliances and K-12 outreach organizations that are already part of the BPC community, specifically focusing on outreach to persons with disabilities, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and women. The CSC Project aims to maximize access to shared resources within organizations (public and private) serving underrepresented youth in computing, strengthening their capacity by sharing best practice research and program models, outcomes, and products through training and dissemination. In this way, the project hopes to create the tipping point, creating a community of projects, initiatives, and stakeholders dedicated to transforming the computing workforce with equitable participation.