Code.org selects Rice to help increase access to computer science education

The Rice University School Mathematics Project (RUSMP) is one of the first nine organizations selected by Code.org to provide professional development for K-12 teachers over the next two years to expand pre-college students’ access to computer science. President Barack Obama announced the Code.org Professional Learning Partners April 13 at the final White House Science Fair of his administration.

Code.org is a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. The organization’s vision is that every student in every school will have the opportunity to learn computer science. Code.org plans to add more organizations as partners before summer.

With funding provided by Code.org, RUSMP will bring approximately 250 teachers from the Houston Independent School District and other schools and school districts in the Greater Houston area to the Rice campus for summer computer science programs. Teachers who enroll in each of these programs will be supported throughout the following academic year with additional professional development.

“Code.org is proud to partner with Rice University to expand access to computer science in Houston at a time when the majority of K-12 schools still don’t offer it,” said Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org. “By offering Code.org Professional Learning Programs, RUSMP will give teachers the tools and support they need to introduce foundational 21st-century knowledge into their classrooms and put all students on a path to success in today’s high-tech world.”

RUSMP Director Anne Papakonstantinou noted that this new partnership builds upon the Rice University School Mathematics Project’s 30 years as a leading education center that provides high-quality programs, resources, support and research for the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education community. “RUSMP continues to be the primary catalyst of sustained, progressive change in education in Houston-area schools and across Texas with its numerous programs for leaders, teachers and students and through its support to schools and school districts,” she said.