Company
Date Published
Author
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis
Word count
1674
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Investing in CS4All: One Year Later` highlights the challenges and successes of a computer science education program for underprivileged high school students in New York City. The program, led by teachers Jeremy Mellema and Timothy Chen, partnered with MongoDB to provide a curriculum and support. Despite initial struggles, such as poor reading skills being a barrier to learning code, the program showed partial wins, including students like Tatyana Camacho who interned at the high school's IT department. The Computer Club, led by Jeremy, provided hands-on experience with programming tools like Arduino, allowing students to create projects and develop problem-solving skills. Timothy's class focused on a multi-week project called the AP Create Task, which encouraged students to make anything they want in any language, promoting creativity and innovation. Despite challenges, both teachers expressed hope that their program could inspire students to "fall in love" with programming and continue learning on their own. The article emphasizes the importance of addressing the teaching of problem-solving skills, a hurdle for many students. Ultimately, the success of CS4All depends on finding ways to engage students and provide them with opportunities to develop essential skills in computer science.