The Coding School will develop an in-depth AI course for high school students and educators across the United States.
Los Angeles, CA
The Coding School (TCS), a tech education nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation through emerging technology education, announced today that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), has selected The Coding School as a $3 million grant recipient under the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Biotechnology, and Enhanced Civics Education.
The Coding School will receive the funds over a three-year period to develop and implement TRAIN, a first-of-its-kind initiative focused on cultivating a diverse Artificial Intelligence (AI)-literate workforce through high school AI education. Specifically, the program, aims to establish an accessible path for thousands of students in the United States to learn Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) through a two-fold approach.
TRAIN will offer a two-semester, for credit Introduction to Machine Learning course for high school students beginning in Fall 2022. With an inclusive program design, the course will be held virtually with live instruction to ensure accessibility and consist of weekly lectures, labs, and projects. High school STEM educators will also be able to enroll in the course or complete a two- or four-week summer intensive for professional development and will receive a stipend upon completion. The Coding School’s two-pronged approach provides STEM educators with in-depth training to develop comprehensive modules or courses at their local school, and a for-credit course provides meaningful AI and ML instruction to students who otherwise would not have the ability to take an AI course at their school.
“Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will affect nearly every aspect of society – from how we interact and socialize to how industries run. Having an AI-literate workforce is not just important for the U.S. economy but is also an issue of national security,” said Kiera Peltz, Founder and CEO of The Coding School, as well as Principal Investigator (PI) on the grant. “We are grateful that this grant will help us ensure high school students – particularly those who don’t have access to high-quality STEM education – are prepared with the technical skills necessary for the future of work.”
As the economic impact of AI is substantially increasing, TRAIN is critical to developing the next generation of AI leaders and changemakers. Through providing an accessible path to AI and ML for thousands of students and educators, the TR AIN program will enable The Coding School in collaboration with USC Viterbi to make a bigger impact in underserved communities, with the goal of incorporating the course into school curriculums across the country. TRAIN is designed to focus on increasing diversity in AI and the future workforce, and will serve students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, broadening access to quality STEM education to ensure future leaders are agile and equipped with skills and mentorships needed to succeed.
The Coding School will develop and execute the learning programs and provide the curriculum to schools throughout the country. They will also conduct research, studying multi-dimensional data collected from the program to inform best practices for future AI educational efforts for high school educators and students. Throughout the course, students and educators will have the opportunity to connect with AI experts in academia, government, and industry to raise awareness of careers in AI and ML. Additionally, The Coding School will work with the DoD to include a range of staff from different laboratories and departments to highlight STEM career paths at the DoD
Available through The Coding School’s instructor-led virtual course, TRAIN will be accessible to students and high school educators at no cost through either a two-semester course or a four-week summer intensive.
For more information about The Coding School, visit: www.the-cs.org.
ABOUT THE CODING SCHOOL:
The Coding School (TCS) is a 501(c)(3) tech education nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation through computer science education. Founded in 2014 by Brown University graduate Kiera Peltz, TCS has become a global leader in emerging technology education, teaching over 40,000 students and teachers in 125 countries with over 50% of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. TCS offers a diverse range of program offerings, including 3-year in-classroom courses, one-on-one and small group coding lessons, summer camps, and virtual courses in 16+ specialized tech fields, such as Cyber Security, Quantum Computing, and Data Science. TCS is sponsored by IBM Quantum and Google AI, and partnered with higher educational institutions, including UCLA, University of Maryland, Brown University, and Villanova University.