By the time Governor Raimondo announced the statewide computer science initiative for K-12 schools, PCUS’s principal, Celeste Terry-Lo, had already started to get the ball rolling by applying to become a TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy Schools) partner school. This partnership with Microsoft ensures that students will be graduating with valuable computer science skills that are becoming critical for employers.
In December 2015, all K-12 PCS students participated in an annual Hour of Code event, which received an overwhelming response for additional opportunities. In response to this student feedback, a partnership was developed with Intracity Geeks to offer an after school coding program for interested high school students. In the coming school year, in partnership with Microsoft’s TEALS program, students will take a credit-bearing computer science course that will be co-taught with an industry expert.
The TEALS program helps high schools start and grow a sustainable computer science program and builds teaching capacity by integrating professional software engineers into the classroom in a co-teaching model with a classroom teacher. Currently, TEALS works with 161 schools across 17 states.