The K-12 STEM Center follows all University guidelines for protecting students, families, teachers, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: no events on or off campus, and staff are working remotely.
Teachers, Principals and District Administrators:
Now recruiting our 2021-2022 cohort of teachers for professional development to teach a CS course in 2021-2022.
Applications are now open for USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Code.org’s Professional Learning Program in computer science for middle and high school teachers!
USC and Code.org work together as partners to help K-12 teachers, principals, and district administrators to add Computer Science classes in the 2021-22 academic schedule. USC Viterbi School of Engineering has already trained over 100 teachers, even educators with no computer experience! We start in summer by training teachers how to use Code.org’s free, standards-aligned CS curricula; those teachers stay in a community of practice that continues over the first implementation year, attending quarterly workshops for additional support in teaching CS through project-based learning, even during a pandemic.
Scholarships are available to applicants slated to teach a new CS class at a Southern California school that serves students who are historically underrepresented in STEM and/or received federal aid for meals. Tell us if you’d like to receive more information.
- No background in computers or computer science needed.
- Full scholarships for teachers at systematically under-resourced schools.
- The curriculum, online student learning platform, and access to support from the teacher and Code.org community are available to all schools year-round, FREE of charge.
- Teachers can earn continuing education units (CEUs) for their time.
- Teachers have VIP spots in USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center computer science events. Click here to learn more.
Professional learning courses offered:
Computer Science Discoveries
Summer Five-Day Immersion Training: June 21-25, 2021 (9-4pm each day)
Quarterly Saturday Sessions: Dates TBD
Shareable flyer here.
Learn more about the program here.
Computer Science Principles
Summer Five-Day Immersion Training: June 21-25, 2021 (8-3pm each day)
Quarterly Saturday Sessions: Dates TBD
Shareable flyer here.
Learn more about the program here.
Meet our Code.org facilitators:
CS Discoveries
- John Landis, CS teacher at LAUSD’s Girls Academic Leadership Academy
- Debbie Spear, retired LAUSD math & CS teacher
CS Principles
- Katie Ingram, CS teacher at LAUSD's Taft High School
- Jennifer Stone, CS/CTE teacher at LAUSD’s STEM Academy of Hollywood
LAUSD teachers can access this training through LAUSD. USC works with all other school districts in the SoCal region.
"Keep up the great program. Teachers are often intimidated and don't see the need to add one more thing to their plate unless they are like me and know that coding is the new literacy and must provide it for students to be successful and happy in life. Timing works for teachers - one week in the summer and then on Saturdays through the year. It is very supportive and convenient for us. Thank you for everything."
The USC/Code.org summer cohort with 52 teachers
CS Discoveries Faciltiators John Landa and Debbie Spear with USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Co-Director Katie Mills (L to R)
Why Schools Need More Quality Computer Science Education
- Every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science.
- Computer science is about logic, problem solving, collaboration and creativity. Students gain an opportunity to take part in creating technology that will solve problems in their communities and in the world.
- Computer science teaches students foundational 21st-century knowledge — skills that will open doors in every field, in every state.
The value of a computer science education
California has no dedicated state funding for CS PD and does not require all high schools to offer CS, even though it has K-12 CS curriculum standards. Code.org and USC Viterbi's K-12 STEM Center offer a solution to Southern California school districts, schools, and teachers.
Computer science drives innovation throughout the US economy, but it remains marginalized throughout K-12 education
About Code.org
Code.org is a Seattle-based, 501c3 non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Code.org's vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. Since launching in 2013, Code.org has partnered with public school districts nationwide, helped change policies to expand computer science programs, built innovative curriculum for all levels K-12, and organized the Hour of Code campaign – which has introduced over 100 million students to computer science to date.
Read about USC's partnership with Code.org here.