McDowell County Schools district earns $75,000 grant to develop student computer skills – McDowell News
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A dozen North Carolina school districts, including McDowell County Schools, and one charter school will benefit this year from a total of $800,000 in grants aimed at developing student skills in computer science through coding.
The Coding and Mobile App Development Grant program, launched in 2017 with funding from the General Assembly, supports partnerships with local businesses to help schools develop computer science, coding and mobile app development programs.
The grants, which range from nearly $80,000 to $25,000 this year, help districts and schools purchase equipment, digital materials and cover the costs associated with teacher professional development to build capacity in coding, computer science and mobile application development initiatives.
McDowell County Schools received $75,000 this year. The system also received $50,000 last year. Mary Finley, McDowell County Schools CTE director, applied for both grants
This year’s grant will be used for:
-Professional development for staff focused on the Computer Science Standards.
-Lego Spike Essential Kits for each elementary school in the district.
-Pay for select teachers to attend the NCTIES Conference.
-Support current sponsorships of CTE Internships and work experiences.
-Implementation of the goals from the National Computer Science Expansion.
Amy Dowdle, director of human resources and public information officer for the school system, credited Finley with advancing the schools’ technology resources.
“Mrs. Finley has been key to securing this grant,” Dowdle said. “I appreciate all she does for the students of McDowell County Schools.”
Last year’s $50,000 grant paid for:
-A set of Finch Robots for each elementary school.
-Professional development for staff on the Computer Science Standards.
-Lego Kits for both Foothills Community Schools and Pleasant Gardens Elementary School.
“Knowing that STEM experiences will provide enhanced opportunities for our students for years to come, we are committed to leveraging all available resources to optimize our instructional capabilities,” said Interim Superintendent Brian Oliver.
Applicants for this year’s round of grants indicated a primary goal of establishing strategies to implement and integrate the new NC K12 Computer Science Standards by prioritizing professional development for teachers and introducing students to computer science in novel ways.
Partnerships include a variety of business and industry connections across the state, including such companies and organizations as STEM West, Sesame Technologies, Lee Chevrolet, Innovation Barn, Google Data Center, Stemerald City, LLC, Esports Performance Academy, Winston-Salem State University, and VectorCSP.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the grants help expose students to careers in the state’s fast-growing technology sector while laying an early foundation in the skills needed to succeed in those jobs.
“The workforce here in North Carolina and elsewhere is changing rapidly, and we must respond with initiatives like the Coding and Mobile App Development grants to ensure that students know about the kinds of opportunities available after high school and are able to take advantage of them,” Truitt said. “The growth in technology-related jobs in the state underscores the need to drive alignment between our K-12 education system and the needs of our businesses and industries.”
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