The Maryland Center for Women in Computing is awarded an ACM SIGCSE Special Projects Grant for Computer Science Connect Curriculum-In-A-Box

The Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) has awarded the Maryland Center for Women in Computing a SIGCSE Special Projects Grant for “Computer Science Connect Curriculum-In-A-Box.” SIGCSE Special Projects Grants support projects that investigate and introduce new ideas in the learning and teaching of computing. These projects provide clear benefit to the wider disciplinary community in the form of new knowledge, developing or sharing of a resource, and/or good practice in learning, teaching, or assessment.

The Computer Science Connect Curriculum-In-A-Box SIGCSE Special Projects Grant will support the creation and adaptation of hands-on curriculum modules, video lectures, and information on encouraging underrepresented students to pursue computing. These resources will be made available for free download by interested educators, parents, and other universities interested in starting outreach initiatives similar to our existing Computer Science Connect program. Further, Computer Science Connect Curriculum-In-A-Box will involve a research initiative to study the effect of this curriculum on middle school girls’ interest in pursuing further education and careers in computing and in STEM.

The SIGCSE Special Projects Committee believes that these materials will become a valuable resource and is pleased to fund this worthwhile project. If you are interested in learning more about this project, please contact the Primary Investigators: Jan Plane and Elissa Redmiles.