Broward County Public Schools Receives Computer Science Grants
- Author: Bryan Miller
- Posted: 2023-12-25
What the Grants Are for
The Broward County Public Schools district was awarded three separate grants from the National Science Foundation. Each of the grants has a different but related purpose to the overarching goal of boosting participation in computer science classes. The grants focus on underserved groups who have lower participation rates in computer science. This includes minority students, female students and students with disabilities.
Computer Science Courses Offered By Broward County Public Schools
According to the Broward County Public Schools spokesperson, the district offers computer science classes and curricula in their elementary, middle and high schools. The classes prepare students to innovate and create new technology that could drive the future economy of the county, state and nation. The Broward County Public Schools said that its program has the potential to make a difference to people around the world.
What the First Grant Is for
The first grant awarded to the Broward County Public Schools is for a research and practice partnership. It will focus on developing equitable computer science opportunities for students in the district's elementary schools. The program will combine computer science with the existing subject matter in other learning units. The lessons will be made available to anyone in the United States. They will be posted on code.org, which is one of the nation's largest providers of computer science lessons at the K-12 grade levels. This grant is in partnership with the Outlier Research & Evaluation at University of Chicago STEM Education Program and the University of Florida.
About the Second Grant Awarded to Broward County Public Schools
The second grant awarded to Broward County Public Schools focuses on increasing elementary student participation in computer science programs. This grant is specifically geared toward enhancing the inclusion of children with disabilities. There are four partnering school districts in this program, and Broward County Public Schools is one of them. This grant is part of the Universal Design for Computer Science Learning grant. It is called the Partnership for Inclusive Elementary Computer Science Education, and its focus is on students with physical disabilities, speech impediments and learning disorders. The grant was awarded to Broward County Public Schools in partnership with the University of Florida.
How the Third Grant Will Help Broward County Public Schools
The third computer science grant awarded to Broward County Public Schools is part of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities program. It is part of the curriculum called "Community of Practice to Prepare and Support Teachers to Teach Rigorous Computer Science Courses." It is specifically used in racially and ethnically diverse school districts like Broward County's. The funds received by Broward County Public Schools will greatly enhance their ability to offer an extensive set of professional development training in high schools for the grade nine to 12 computer science teachers. This grant for Broward County Public Schools is in partnership with the Quality Education for Minorities Network, the L.L. Burge and Associates, LLC. company and Florida Memorial University. There are three participating school districts for this grant.
Why Grants for Computer Science Programs Are Needed
In times when states mandate a lot of standardized testing around math, reading and writing, other subjects are often left to the wayside. In addition to the required subjects schools have to teach, such as government, many school districts are only able to offer the most basic classes in other subjects. These grants will help Broward County Public Schools expand its offerings in subjects that are often ignored or unavailable due to the costs of the equipment, technology, software, teachers and curricula. As the United States becomes more of a service-oriented economy, knowledge of coding will be increasingly important. Students who get to dip their feet in the water of technology now will have a much stronger foundation for high school and college or university level courses in computer science. The Broward County Public Schools spokesperson suggested that their district could have the next Steve Jobs, and this grant will give them the opportunity to shine.
