As an educator, you know the importance of computer science (CS) education in today's increasingly technological world. Computer science affects every facet of our lives—from the website where you're reading this blog to the app that you use to order dinner. The computer science workforce is growing and needs innovative students to contribute.

Students with a background in computer science are better prepared for college for and the workforce. 67% of all new STEM jobs are in the computing industry, while only 11% of STEM bachelor's degrees are in computer science. There is a high demand for developers, which means that students who choose to pursue this career path are almost guaranteed a job with a good salary.

We need more students learning computer science, but we especially need diverse students learning computer science. Many groups are severely underrepresented in this industry. Unfortunately, only 24% of the CS workforce is female, 8% is African-American, and7% is Latinx.

A major factor contributing to this inequality is the fact that minority groups often are not exposed to computer science. Because of this, studying CS can seem intimidating and unapproachable for  many students. Increasing awareness of and interest in computer science for all students starts in K–12 education.

Schools all over the United States (and world) are putting more of an emphasis on CS education, but it can be incredible challenging to introduce a completely new subject into a school's curriculum. Educators are already busy, and many have limited experience teaching computer science. The task of creating an equitable and effective computer science curriculum can be daunting.

This is where Skill Struck comes in.

‍

A computer science education provider

Skill Struck provides K–12 computer science education platforms to schools that make teaching CS easy and equitable. Our platforms are created to show students that computer science can be fun and easier than they think.

Our K–5 platform, Launchpad features engaging games and block coding to introduce your early learners to the world of coding. For grades 6–12, Voyage has curriculum for four different programming languages—HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. Strategic scaffolding and self-paced learning supports students where they are, while giving them opportunities to challenge themselves.

A partner for educators

Our goal is to make computer science education engaging and equitable for students, but we know that this is only possible with the hard work of educators like you. No program can replace a teacher and their unique relationships with each of their students. But we know that there are endless demands on teachers' time and energy, and we're here to check some things off your list.

The Educator Portal has everything you need to teach computer science effectively. Skill Struck provides computer science lesson plans that are standards-aligned for every grade level. And our autograder saves teachers hours of time that would otherwise be spent debugging student code. Skill Struck platforms and team are here to empower and enable you to support your students on their computer science journey (or "Voyage").

An opportunity for students

Students who learn computer science in grades K–12 are set up for success in the future. A student who majors in computer science has the potential to earn 40% more than the college average. Think of the lifelong impact this could have on any student, but especially on students caught in the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

Computer science will not be every student's calling. Some will go on to study math and others marketing, but the skills they learn from computer science will stay with them, no matter their chosen field. Learning to code teaches students problem solving skills, and perhaps most importantly, teaches them to have a growth mindset.

Adding computer science curriculum to your school(s) doesn't just benefit your students, it benefits the future of STEM industry. Equitable computer science education in K–12 schools will create a more equitable workforce. At Skill Struck, we're passionate about a more diverse future in the CS industry, and we know that by working together with educators like you, we can make it a reality.

‍