Home is where the heart is and it’s where learning happens. Amidst the disruptions of the past few years, at-home learning has become more important than ever.
In recognition of this, CSforPGH launched a Mini-Grant opportunity to expand access to K-12 computer science learning by creating more opportunities to learn computer science at home.
Remake Learning will award grants of up to $5,000 to establish new opportunities for out-of-school time (OST) organizations and formal educators at school districts strategically in rural and urban areas to create resources for families that may have limited access to technology resources needed to do foundational coding activities at home.
Thanks to the generous support of BNY Mellon, CSforPGH is thrilled to announce 10 grantees have been selected to develop their at-home CS learning projects over the winter and spring of 2023:
Kids Innovation Playground, in collaboration with North Trails Public Library and Slippery Rock Community Library, will create a free Hummingbird Robotics Kit Lending Program for young people grades 4 and up in rural Butler County.
Aliquippa Green, in collaboration with Community College of Beaver County, will outfit the first iteration of their STEM Library with space and equipment for family focused learning that can be carried into the homes of the community.
Provident Charter School will provide 6th grade students with KEYSTUDIO Micro Bit Smart Home Starter Kits to see how solar panels work when used on a house. They will learn how to work with the kits in the classroom and then take the kits home to explore with family members.
Manchester Youth Development Center will provide each K-6 student they serve with the Tynker coding platform and pair it with ongoing family-based competitions and coding projects led by a Tynker Facilitator.
River Valley School District, with ATHENA International, will plan a four-day female-oriented Computer Science Camp for the Spring of 2023 for students in grades 5-8. These female-centered CS opportunities will allow the district to build and retain a pipeline of future female technology leaders
Propel Northside, will create d take-home unplugged CS kits for 3rd and 4th grade students and their families, culminating in a family night will be held on-site at Propel Northside during Remake Learning Days where families will be able to sign-up to showcase one of their completed activities and receive replacement materials to continue use at home.
Joe Walker Elementary School in McGuffey School District will outfit their new makerspace with additional devices to challenge students to think crucially as they solve complex problems. The project will culminate in a STEM community night for families to practice creative problem solving together and then receive a take-home kit to continue the design process at home.
City Charter High School will extend in-school robotics learning by providing students with a budget of up to $150 to spend on materials that they can take home such as Micro:bits with accessories, a Finch robot, Tello EDU Drone and/or materials to 3D and laser print accessories.
Cannon-McMillan School District will purchase Finch Robot kits for in-school classes and clubs, as well as making them available for students to borrow for at-home exploration.
Trinity Area School District will establish a robot lending library at each of its four elementary schools, starting with Dash robots and accompanying Chromebooks that can be lent to students for at-home learning in a non-threatening, comfortable environment.
To learn more about CSforPGH and connect with upcoming events and opportunities, get in touch with working group lead Lisa Palmieri.