Democratizing Computing Education: A Battle for Inclusion in Modern America

The battle for inclusion in tech is a battle for existence in an increasingly software-driven world. The ability to participate in the workforce - from culture curation to software engineering - to be accounted for across all sectors of modern life is increasingly determined by some measure of technical skills. If underrepresented students of color do not acquire the education and skills required to enter the workforce in meaningful ways, they will not be able to afford to live in the cities and towns marketed to the imagination of America's future. [1] That means that the future of America is being imagined without them. During this session, we will discuss what is happening in K-12 and Higher Education to democratize computer science education at this critical stage in the effort to improve STEM education and the nation's technical workforce. Specifically, the panelists will explore ways to improve local computer science educational ecosystems through the provision of curricular content and the development of postsecondary institutional partnerships.