Ecosystem Computing Challenge: Partnership Model to Build Access to Relevant Computing Education for Underrepresented High School Students

该项目是建立在这样的前提下，即在高中提供的计算机科学课程不应该仅仅是关于计算机素养，但必须包括基本的计算概念和计算实践设置在感兴趣的应用程序的背景下，以不同的学习者。该项目小组计划开发一个教师专业发展的课程和计划，旨在使高中教师和学生参与严格的计算方法。该计划的目标是在计算方面代表性不足的学生-妇女，代表性不足的少数民族（非洲裔美国人，西班牙裔和美洲印第安人），以及新罕布什尔州（NH）服务不足的农村地区的学生。 该计划为职业和技术教育（CTE）中心的高中教师提供专业发展和教学资源，并通过新罕布什尔州大学（UNH）的合作推广为高中生提供校外计划。 该项目团队建立在UNH合作推广，NH CTE中心和NH实验计划之间的现有合作基础上，以刺激竞争性研究（EPSCoR）研究基础设施改善（RII）轨道1项目，UNH的教师教育和计算技术计划，以及当地行业合作伙伴。 该计划包括为Android移动的设备开发应用程序，以及涉及大型数据集的环境科学和生态系统研究项目。课程材料改编自探索计算机科学课程，该课程于2008-2009年在洛杉矶联合学区试行，后来被其他地方采用。 更广泛的影响这个为期五年的项目将通过整个学年和夏季课程提供的课程，吸引四名推广教育工作者、来自十六个CTE中心的二十二名教师和四百二十名学生。 CTE中心和暑期学校的网站选择这个项目是在NH的城市和多样化，农村和低收入地区。 将创建一个开放许可的课程和教学资源库，并将其分发给学生，教师和项目合作者，包括行业合作伙伴。准备教师和与社区合作伙伴合作，使代表性不足的少数群体在计算的模式是可扩展的，可转移的，并在全国其他机构复制。

This project is built on the premise that computer science courses offered at high schools should not be merely about computer literacy but must include essential computing concepts and computational practices set in the context of applications of interest to diverse learners. The project team plans to develop a curriculum and program of teacher professional development designed to engage high school teachers and students in rigorous computing methods. The program targets students underrepresented in computing -- women, underrepresented minorities (African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians), and students in underserved rural regions of New Hampshire (NH). Intellectual MeritThe program provides professional development and teaching resources for high school teachers from Career and Technology Education (CTE) centers and an out-of-school program for high school students offered through Cooperative Extension at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The project team builds on the existing collaborations among UNH Cooperative Extension, NH CTE centers, and NH Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-1 project, UNH's Teacher Education and Computing Technology Programs, and local industry partners. The program includes development of applications for Android mobile devices and projects related to environmental science and ecosystem research that involve large datasets. Course materials are being adapted from the Exploring Computer Science curriculum which was piloted in 2008-2009 in the Los Angeles Unified School District and later adopted by other places. Broader ImpactsThe five-year project will engage four Extension educators, twenty-two teachers from sixteen CTE centers and four hundred and twenty students through programs offered throughout the academic year and summer sessions. The CTE centers and summer school sites selected for this project are in NH's urban and diverse, rural, and low-income regions. An openly licensed repository of curriculum and teaching resources will be created and disseminated to students, teachers, and project collaborators including industry partners. The model of preparing the teachers and working with the community partners to empower underrepresented minority groups in computing is scalable, transferrable, and replicable at other institutions nationwide.