Schools in Commerce and Gwinnett County are among 20 across the state that will share in $500,000 in state grants for middle school computer coding programs.
The funds specifically target middle schools in rural, underserved, or high-poverty school clusters. The funding is intended to assist middle schools with the implementation of computer coding curriculum, computer science-related professional development and training, equipment purchases, and the establishment of computer science certification pathways.
Jordan Middle School in Gwinnett and Commerce Middle School are the only schools in northeast Georgia receiving the $25,000 grants this year.
“Georgia is the Silicon Valley of the South,” said Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. “Our state is home to a world-class tech industry which could realistically become the Technology Capital of the entire East Coast. However, the growth of the tech sector – which will create more high-paying job opportunities for Georgians – is contingent upon our educating students to a 21st-century standard. This program, which allows students to get hands-on coding experience in middle school, will put our students on a pathway to success and allow our state’s booming tech industry to continue expanding.”
“Providing high-quality computer science opportunities is essential as we prepare Georgia’s students for their futures,” state Schools Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Computer science is now an essential academic discipline, one that provides foundational knowledge and skills that benefit every child. We will continue to work to expand computer science learning throughout the K-12 system.”
Click here for a list of all the schools that are being awarded grants.
