Becoming a ‘Northern Light’ of computer science education

While Minnesota often ranks as one of the most educated states, there is one crucial area of study where the “North Star State” lacks—computer science (CS).

In Minnesota, only 28 percent of high schools offer these essential programs. Of those, 12 percent are urban schools. Meanwhile, neighbors Iowa and Wisconsin are markedly higher at 71 percent and 66 percent respectively. Nationally, an average of 58 percent of schools offer these classes. 

One effort housed at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development is looking to dramatically close this gap.

The Northern Lights Collaborative for Computing Education was created in late 2023 in part to address Minnesota’s standings in its CS course offerings. The collaborative works with local and national organizations as well as community leaders to help school districts address this need.

“We aim to be state and national leaders in supporting computing education that is community-oriented,” says the collaborative’s District Support Coordinator Paul Schonfeld.

Northern Lights recently received funding for three initiatives that will help bring more CS courses to districts in need.

Through a National Science Foundation grant, “K12 CS Pathways for Rural and Tribal Communities,” the collaborative is partnering with four school districts in northern Minnesota to offer support as they build their own district visions for CS education. The grant is a four-year project aimed at creating sustainable CS pathways. The partner districts are part of a professional learning network that shares best practices and strategies for adding CS in elementary, middle, and high schools with a focus on supporting Native American students and students with disabilities.

“Districts have opportunities to collaborate with our organization and partner districts as they work toward their own goals,” Schonfeld says. “Northern Lights offers customized professional development for districts and also helps guide them as they select curriculum and seek additional support from partner organizations.”

Northern Lights also recently received a Google Gift to support the development of an Indigenous CS curriculum unit incorporating Ojibwe and Dakota languages and cultures. Up to 15 schools with significant Native American populations will be provided with stipends for educators to attend workshops, implement a CS curriculum unit, and provide feedback to improve the materials. Northern Lights was one of only three university organizations across the country to receive funding from Google to increase CS access and participation for Indigenous students from K-12 through postsecondary.

The collaborative is also partnering with youth-serving organizations in Duluth to document, study, and support opportunities for informal CS learning for K-12 youth outside of school hours. 

Within the schools, Duluth’s elementary library media specialists are now receiving professional development in CS fundamentals and will implement CS lessons in kindergarten through fifth grade this year. The district is also adding or adjusting three courses in its middle schools for the 2024-25 school year.

Northern Lights also was awarded grants of more than $2.2 million, including a sub-award to Georgia State University, from Google.org for PrepareCS. PrepareCS is a partnership between the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Georgia State University. This funding will advance CS education by integrating training into preservice teacher education programs, including the development of pathways for CS teachers, across the United States. 

According to the Minnesota Technology Association, the median tech wage in Minnesota is $101,365, and the technology sector has a $36.1 billion per year impact, which accounts for 7.7 percent of the state’s overall economy. The group’s report estimated 92,537 new technologists will be needed in Minnesota in the next 10 years.

Not only are CS courses gateways to STEM careers, but they are also more and more necessary in navigating day-to-day living. 

“As our society increasingly relies on digital technologies, it’s imperative that students also understand computer science,” says Jennifer Rosato, director of Northern Lights. “Students learn science to understand the world around us.”

This is adapted from a story originally written by the College of Education and Human Development.