Leesylvania
and
Swans
Creek
Elementary
Schools
are
among
19
Virginia
schools
selected
to
participate
in
the
Computer
Science
(CS)-Ready
Schools
pilot
program
this
year.
The
schools
will
work
with
CodeVA
to
build
a
sustainable
foundation
for
computer
science
education
and
engagement
with
a
focus
on
training
teachers
and
administrators
to
bring
computer
science
literacy
to
students
and
to
offer
enrichment
that
engages
parents
and
the
community.
At
the
pilot's
completion,
schools
that
successfully
achieve
the
necessary
benchmarks
will
earn
the
CS-Ready
School
designation.
"We're
excited
for
our
teachers
to
develop
the
knowledge
and
skills
to
make
computer
science
accessible
to
all
students,"
said
Gail
Charnick,
instructional
technology
coach
at
Swans
Creek
Elementary.
"Our
students
will
not
only
build
the
computer
science
skills
needed
for
future
careers,
but
they'll
also
develop
critical
thinking
skills
as
they
work
through
challenges."
The
CS-Ready
Schools
program
is
a
part
of
Virginia's
CS
for
VA
initiative,
a
partnership
between
CodeVA
and
the
Virginia
Department
of
Education
with
funding
through
Amazon
Future
Engineer.
Other
goals
for
the
pilot
include
developing
new
tools
and
curricular
resources
that
support
this
educational
initiative
and
a
plan
for
the
eventual
expansion
of
the
program
to
all
schools
and
divisions
in
Virginia.
"Participation
in
this
program
will
build
our
school's
capacity
to
teach
Virginia's
computer
science
standards
within
our
current
curriculum,"
said
Charnick.
"Our
teachers
will
benefit
from
professional
development
and
the
ability
to
work
with
other
pilot
schools
as
we
challenge
assumptions
and
generate
ideas
to
tackle
our
goals.
Through
this
program,
we
hope
to
move
students
from
being
just
consumers
of
technology
to
become
the
next
generation
of
innovators."
CodeVA
will
provide
support
and
guidance
to
the
19
school
sites
as
they
identify
key
leaders,
develop
a
plan
of
action,
and
design
a
strong
foundational
culture
geared
toward
computer
science
education.
All
elements
will
be
delivered
virtually
by
CodeVA,
due
to
COVID-19
limitations,
and
the
initial
12-month
timeline
may
be
adjusted
to
account
for
increased
demands
on
schools.
CodeVA
is
a
Richmond-based
nonprofit
that
works
to
ensure
every
child
in
Virginia
has
access
to
real,
meaningful
computer
science
education
through
advocacy,
teacher
training,
and
school
programs.
In
2016,
their
work
achieved
successful
legislation
to
bring
computer
science
into
Virginia
classrooms;
as
part
of
the
state
standards
of
learning,
computer
science
is
now
mandated
from
kindergarten
through
12th
grade.
Virginia
was
the
first
state
in
the
country
to
have
that
happen.