The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are making a serious investment in the future of its students by adding computer science to its high school core curriculum, and offering it starting in kindergarten — the first urban school district to do so. CPS high schools will begin including a foundational computer science class within three years, upgrading the subject from elective to core; within five years, kindergarten through eighth-graders will be able to take computer courses as well. The goal is to increase kids’ computer literacy and get them coding at a young age, so they can compete for high-paying jobs. Anyone who’s been paying attention to education trends lately knows that globally American kids have fallen behind in the S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. “The new bilingual is knowing computer code writing, and what we’re setting up today, while it’s a good foundation, the fact is that in the U.K. and in China, computer science and computer coding is now fundamental to elementary school education, and we’re playing catch-up to that effort,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
MORE: The High-Tech Ride That’s Getting Kids Excited About Coding
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The ‘High-Tech Ride’ That’s Getting Kids Excited about Coding
Rather than trying to motivate students with statistics on juicy job prospects, Project Lead the Way teaches them to create mobile apps—a “high-tech ride” they can test drive on a tablet as they code or show off on their phones once it’s completed. The nationwide program—now in 60 high schools—aims to get students excited about the complex subject of computer language by making technology not just something that students can use, but something they can create.