University Academy earns accolades for gender equity in computer science education – Palestine Herald Press
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Updated: August 16, 2022 @ 9:37 am
University Academy students Emily Chen, Addison Parsons, Yash Patel and Victor Espinoza compete in a robotics competition in Kilgore.
University Academy students Emily Chen, Addison Parsons, Yash Patel and Victor Espinoza compete in a robotics competition in Kilgore.
University Academy is one of roughly 90 secondary schools recognized in the inaugural Accelerating Women’s Success and Mastery in Computer Science Honor Roll. The list recognizes schools with higher than 50% enrollment in computer science classes among female students.
Gender equity is an issue in computer science education because the statewide average for girls enrolled in high school computer science classes is just 27%. Women are currently underrepresented and comprise about 27% of the computer science workforce.
The honor roll was announced at the 2022 WeTeach_CS Summit by the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center and was awarded to fewer than 1% of the state’s secondary schools.
WeTeach_CS provides research-based support through content, pedagogy, equity, certification and community to teachers and students in Texas schools, according to its website.
“TACC is proud to recognize University Academy Palestine as an inaugural member of the AWSM in CS Honor Roll,” said Carol Fletcher, director of Expanding Pathways in Computing at the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Advanced Computing Center. “Thank you for your leadership and for bringing these opportunities to the young women in your community.”
University Academy offers three main pathways of study: computer science, engineering, and health sciences. Each of the STEM – science, technology, engineering, and math – programs allows students to earn credits toward a degree program at the University of Texas at Tyler while attending high school classes.
University Academy Director Ummi Bodede credits the school’s narrow choices as one reason for the higher number of girls in computer science classes.
“Our whole model is centered around innovation and technology and project-based learning,” Bodede said. “In Kindergarten we begin the project-based learning, so it becomes second-nature.”
Electives such as robotics also encourage girls to learn about STEM and are one choice for student extracurricular activities.
Bodede said women teaching STEM courses at University Academy also provide a good role model for girls, encouraging them to pursue STEM careers.
AWSM receives funding from the National Science Foundation to increase young women’s access and participation in computing courses.
For more information about University Academy visit www.uttua.org.
For more information about WeTeach_CS visit www.tacc.utexas.edu/epic/weteachcs.
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