Code.org Recognizes Friday Institute During CSEdCon for Most New Code.org Teachers Trained
This year, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s computer science (CS) team trained the most new Code.org teachers in grades 6-12 and 10% of all teachers who participated in Code.org’s CS professional learning programs. On Nov. 2, Code.org presented the Friday Institute with an award that recognized these efforts at their global gathering promoting CS education for all students, CSEdCon.
“At Code.org, we are incredibly proud of our eight-year partnership with the Friday Institute at NC State University,” said Sam Morris, regional partner network manager at Code.org. “Along with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Friday Institute has been instrumental in leading the movement to integrate computer science into every school across the state. Their unwavering commitment to North Carolina, its educators and students is not just commendable, it’s transformative. The Friday Institute has not only influenced the present state of computer science education but has also paved the way for a future where every student in North Carolina has access to computer science education.”
Code.org is an education innovation nonprofit dedicated to the vision that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn CS as part of their core K-12 education. Since 2016, the Friday Institute has been a Code.org regional professional learning partner who supports efforts to expand access to CS in K-12 schools.
“We are extremely humbled by the recognition,” said Russell Strand-Poole, a research scholar at the Friday Institute. “As an educator, it is your goal to help our students and succeed, and we are overjoyed in our ability to assist educators with that goal. We are honored that Code.org has decided to recognize the work being done in our state.”
Over the past two years, the Friday Institute has trained over 200 teachers in Code.org’s middle school and high school curriculums. Recently, the Friday Institute has been working closely with North Carolina districts, schools and teachers to prepare them to adopt new CS courses in their schools as part of a new law that mandates that all North Carolina students must complete a high school level CS course to graduate and all middle schools must offer an introductory CS course.
This year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction supported the Friday Institute to expand its professional learning programs to offer Code.org’s professional learning series to North Carolina educators. These trainings were intensive, highly supportive programs designed to prepare educators who have not necessarily taught or studied computer science previously.
Friday Institute Research Scholars Carrie Robledo, Strand-Poole and graduate student Kendall Hageman-Mays promoted, organized and facilitated 23 weeklong workshops across North Carolina this year with the help of their team of facilitators representing teachers from across the state.
