Company
Date Published
Author
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis
Word count
1750
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

A year ago, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced Computer Science for All, a $80 million public-private partnership aimed at teaching computer science to every student at every public school. The goal is to train 5000 teachers and develop curricula they can use in their schools this fall. MongoDB has contributed by setting aside budget for two paid fellowships to recruit public school teachers to spend the summer with the company, where they would receive training and support to develop curricula and share expertise. Two teachers, Tim Chen and Jeremy Mellema, were hired for the summer program, one from a technical background and the other from a teaching background, to develop ambitious curricula in Python and Javascript. The goal is not just to teach computer science but also to address the inequalities in the industry by providing opportunities for students from low-income families who are underrepresented in tech. The teachers will refine their curricula in their classrooms and then share them with other teachers in the New York City public schools, improving access to computer science education for many more students.