Announcing the CSforALL 2020 Commitments from the Pittsburgh region

Organizations in the Pittsburgh region are making a commitment to expanding access to computer science education

CSforPGH, Remake Learning’s regional working group committed to accessible and high-quality computer science education, has once again taken a national stand for computer science learning as part of the annual CSforALL Summit.

As announced during last night’s live-streamed event, members of CSforPGH commit to the following:

STEM Coding Lab commits to making computer science more available to young learners, by offering summer coding classes, including HTML/CSS and Scratch, for elementary age students.

Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Academy commits to providing professional development, ongoing support, and curriculum for in- and out-of-school educators, through their free, online, graphics-based computer science curriculum taught in Python.

Allegheny Intermediate Unit commits to providing professional development in computer science and collaborating with Carnegie Mellon University’s CS Academy to create and publish a series of resources to support computer science instruction in remote and virtual settings.

Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Mon Valley School commits to increasing computer science equity and accessibility by offering students with disabilities a range of learning opportunities connected to computer-related fields, teaching basic through advanced skills and increasing students’ ability to meet current and future job market demands.

Intermediate Unit 1 commits to increasing access to computer science learning for educators and students across southwestern Pennsylvania by:

  • Offering virtual professional development sessions on their computer science lending library, including resources on how to use library tools in both face-to-face and virtual classrooms
  • Expanding professional learning opportunities on Code.org’s Computer Science Fundamentals across the region, with support from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit
  • Expanding professional learning opportunities on Carnegie Mellon University CS Academy courses across school districts in Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties
  • Supporting school districts in Washington, Fayette, and Greene Counties as they complete the SCRIPT planning process, helping them to design local plans for computer science implementation that offer opportunities for all students in grades K-12
  • Supporting school districts in Washington, Fayette, and Greene Counties who completed the SCRIPT planning process last year, providing them with continued professional development and resources to help them reach the specific goals of their plans
    Hosting various STEM/STEAM student competitions in a virtual format, allowing for more students and teams to participate.
  • Continuing to provide engaging STEM/STEAM summer camps, including Camp Tech for students entering grades 3-8, which was offered virtually this summer to 120 students exploring video game design, stop motion animation, 3D design, and programming.

Propel Schools commits to creating relatable and meaningful STEM career sessions, workshops, and job shadowing experiences for all scholars in grades 9-11 and incorporating key findings and attributes from the Remaking Tomorrow report.

The City of Pittsburgh commits to providing coding and technology training for City employees.

In addition, as a collective, CSforPGH commits to:

  1. Utilizing information gained via the CS Learning Lab to expand connections to out-of-school time programs and create an Out of School Time ecosystem of support for computer science. 
  2. Expanding the CSforPGH network by sourcing additional members that specialize in computational thinking in the greater Pittsburgh region.
  3. Expanding on the #CSforInclusion series through webinars, Tweet chats, and local events.

These regional commitments join over 150 other computer science commitments made by organizations across the country.

Download the printable list of commitments: