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Teach For America Joins with Infosys Foundation USA to Create Free Computational Thinking Course for K-12 Teachers

Free, On-Demand Content Allows Educators Across the Country to Bring Dynamic Computer Science and Maker Education Learning Opportunities into Their Classrooms

NEW YORK, NY – In partnership with Infosys Foundation USA, Teach For America (TFA) has built a free “Intro To Computational Thinking” course for the Foundation’s signature Pathfinders Online Institute, a digital learning platform of professional development courses; grab-and-teach instructional resources as well as live webinars and free coding kits and licenses. The  computational thinking (CT) course is designed to support K-12 teachers who want to bring dynamic computer science (CS) and maker education to their classrooms.

“Teach For America and Infosys Foundation USA share a commitment to expanding CS educator training for teachers in high-poverty schools, boosting CS learning opportunities for underrepresented students, and growing a community of advocates who work to increase public awareness of the importance of CS education,” shared Jemina Bernard, Chief Impact Officer, at Teach For America. “If we want to ensure that more students of color and students from low-income backgrounds have access to the computer science and computational thinking educational opportunities that will help them thrive in the 21st-century economy, we need to empower more educators with the resources they need to provide those opportunities. It is an honor to partner with Infosys Foundation USA to bring this course to life.” 

The United States continues to face a gap in equitable CS/CT education, which prevents millions of students from pursuing academic and career opportunities in technology fields. Less than half of U.S. high schools offer CS courses – the majority of which are not in low-income communities. Even where CS courses are available, the number of Black, Latinx, and Native students enrolled in those courses remains disproportionately low.

“Infosys Foundation USA is committed to bringing inclusivity and equity computer science instruction in K12 classrooms across the country. We establish partners with leading curriculum providers and organizations who are closets to the K12 educational system in the US where we can achieve the greatest impact. We look forward to educators digging into these materials and using the CT concepts to open the minds of young learners who should see the tech-enabled economy as ripe for their pursuit” conveyed Kate Maloney, Executive Director of Infosys Foundation USA.

Teach For America is committed to breaking down barriers at every level of the K-12 education system that denies students access to high-quality CS/CT learning experiences. Three years ago, Infosys Foundation USA partnered with Teach For America as the inaugural sponsor of a pilot CT training, exposing incoming corps members to CT and providing them with a framework to introduce CT in their classrooms, regardless of which grade level or subject area they taught. The continued support and partnership with the Foundation has allowed Teach For America to dismantle systemic barriers and increase the number of schools providing high-quality CS/CT learning experiences.

About Teach For America 

Teach For America works in partnership with 350 urban and rural communities across the country to expand educational opportunity for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America recruits and develops a diverse corps of outstanding leaders who make an initial two-year commitment to teach in high-need schools and become lifelong leaders in the effort to end educational inequity. Today, Teach For America is a force of 66,000 alumni and corps members working in more than 9,000 schools nationwide in pursuit of profound systemic change. From classrooms to districts to state houses across America, they are reimagining education to realize the day when every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Infosys Foundation USA  

Infosys Foundation USA was established in 2015 with the mission of expanding computer science and maker education to K-12 students and teachers across the United States, with a specific focus on increasing access to underrepresented communities. The Foundation achieves impact through delivering professional development programs for teachers, partnering with leading nonprofits, and delivering innovative media campaigns that inspire everyone to be creators, not just consumers, of technology. Learn more www.infosys.org/USA or contact: Mary Shen jing.shen02@infosys.com. For more information, follow Infosys on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn!