Inaugural CS4NH Summit, November 5th at UNH Manchester

What is the Summit? The inaugural CS4NH Summit (a.k.a. “Launch Day”) will bring together NH and national experts, K-12 and higher education teams, business / industry representatives, and policy drivers to share our common vision for K-12 CS in NH. The day will start off with remarks from Virginia Barry, Ph.D., NH Commissioner of Education and Mike Decelle, Dean of UNH Manchester. The keynote speaker is Pat Yongpradit, Chief Academic Officer, Code.org. Workshops and an experts panel will follow.

What is CS4NH? CS4NH is a voice for educators across NH who are already doing so much to help their students gain skills and knowledge in CS, and a helping hand for those who want to do more. CS4NH is a partnership between: the Office of STEM Education, NH Department of Education; the STEM Discovery Lab at UNH Manchester; and the STEM Teachers Collaborative, Leitzel Center, UNH. We are conducting research on the landscape of CS education in NH; advocating for CS in K-12; engaging in policy work to define CS as an academic subject and certifiable area of instruction; developing and implementing teacher preparation and professional development; facilitating collaboration between other stakeholders; and more.

What is computer science? Computer Science for K-12 is rigorously defined by the K-12 CS Framework. This definition includes the core concepts of: computing systems, networks and the Internet, data and analysis, algorithms and programming (coding), and impacts of computing. The core practices are: equity, collaboration, problem solving, using abstractions, creativity, testing and refining, and communication. For more information please visit www.k12cs.org.

Why computer science? Computers are changing everything, and computer science is a fundamental skill for the 21st century. Ninety percent of parents want their child’s school to teach computer science, but only 40% of schools teach it. In the schools that do, fewer than 20% of the students are female. These trends persist into college and the workforce. More than 70% of new STEM jobs are in computing, but only 8% of STEM graduates are in computer science. For more information please visit www.code.org.

What’s next? The Summit is just the beginning. We will continue our work, and work with districts and schools looking to implement or expand computer science programs, until every child in NH has the opportunity to learn computer science.

For more information go to www.cs4nh.org or contact David Benedetto, STEM Director, NH Department of Education at (603) 271-3855 or David.Benedetto@doe.nh.gov.