Providing Equitable Access to Computing Education in Mississippi

To maintain competitiveness as a nation, the United States must broaden participation in computing education and career pathways. Integrating computational thinking and computer science in K-12 classrooms is becoming increasingly essential to the development of a responsible and innovative workforce. Further, with increased recognition of the need for computing competency, workforce development programs that target the emerging workforce that may not be on a college pathway and those citizens who want to retool for the digital economy are also essential. This study examines work by researchers and practitioners in Mississippi to engage all public school students and the workforce with computational thinking, computer science concepts, and cybersecurity, providing pathways for learning that make computing education accessible for all citizens. The state of Mississippi has the lowest median wage in the nation, and one of the lowest rates of STEM employment. With half of the public school children identified as African American, and half of them female, there is much opportunity for broadening participation in computing. Assessments from a K-12 teacher professional development programs will be discussed, in addition to outcomes from one year of a workforce development program.