CodeHS Launches Code Missouri to Expand Computer Science in Rural Missouri Schools

    ST. LOUIS, MO, November 09, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- At the 2017 CSforAll Summit, CodeHS announced its new initiative, Code Missouri, to help expand high-quality computer science programs across Missouri with a focus on rural school districts.

In a technology driven world, coding is now a foundational for students. In 2015-2016, only 14% of Missouri schools offered AP Computer Science courses. This percentage is even a smaller in rural districts despite the fact that there are over 8,000 open computing jobs across Missouri.

To kick start Code Missouri, CodeHS is committed to offering CodeHS Pro and professional development to rural school districts in Missouri for free. School districts can apply online today through December 6, 2017. Selected schools will be provided free 6-12th grade computer science curriculum pathway, professional development training for teachers, CodeHS Pro accounts for the district, and ongoing implementation support. To learn more and complete the application to bring CodeHS to your school district, go to CodeMissouri.com.

"Learning to code unlocks and connects the rural student to career opportunities that are seemingly 'invisible and unknown' in rural areas of the state. Even for the student not interested in pursuing a career in computer science, learning computational thinking provides the student the tools to understand, evaluate, and solve complex problems," says Roberta Carson, a Missouri School Counselor

CodeHS understands the challenges rural districts face and is committed to help close the opportunity gap between urban and rural districts. "The reason we're excited about the Code Missouri initiative is that there isn't enough being done to bring computer science opportunities to rural schools. With great online tools and excited teachers we think we can help shift the conversation and provide access to many more students," says Jeremy Keeshin, CEO of CodeHS.

The pilot school for Code Missouri is Fayette High School, where math teacher Kevin Pekkarinen is teaching the class. According to Kevin, "This was my chance to do more, by introducing rural students, who normally would not have the opportunity, to learn such an important skill and open the door for them to a plethora of career opportunities." These courses give students the opportunity to explore important topics in computing using their own ideas, problem solving skills, and creativity.

About CodeHS
CodeHS is a comprehensive teaching platform for helping schools teach computer science by providing web-based curriculum, teacher tools and resources, and professional development. There are over 500,000 students using the platform and 7,000 classrooms on CodeHS every month.

Visit codehs.com

Visit codemissouri.com

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