K-12 Computer Science Pipeline
Fueling the Classroom-to-Career Pipeline
Northern Virginia has been called the "next Silicon Valley," and is already home to the world's largest data center hub, and headquarters of major tech innovators like Amazon Web Services, Capital One and more.
Why do so many major tech companies choose to locate here? Quality of life factors, including the strength of our public education, ranks high on the list, providing a steady source of future workforce talent.
Designed to Meet the Need
As LCPS Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Ashley Ellis recently said:
"Virginia has more than 30,000 unfilled computer science positions. The K-12 Computer Science Pipeline is preparing tomorrow’s tech workforce by getting students excited about problem-solving and computational thinking early on.
"Our students are graduating from high school equipped and ready to continue their education at the college level if they so choose or immediately enter the workforce."
How It Started
In 2020, the LEF won a $2.4 million GO Virginia grant to develop a sustainable and replicable model for how to implement Virginia’s integrated Computer Science standards and ensure that K-12 students are given the skills, certifications, and experiences necessary to enter the current and future technology workforce.
The goal of the Virginia K-12 Computer Science Pipeline initiative is to provide a successful long-term sustainable strategy to integrate computer science and computational thinking skills into every subject (i.e. Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.) for grades K-12 to bridge the gap between computer science education and the Tech Talent workforce pipeline.
The Virginia K-12 Computer Science Pipeline includes the integration of computer science and computational thinking skills in grades K-8 with enhanced curriculum in grades 9-12, including an Experiential Learning program. This program includes direct interfacing with local business and industry leaders through:
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internships;
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mentorships;
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job shadowing.
How It's Going
Beyond the initial funding from GO Virginia, the K-12 Computer Science Pipeline has been a huge success for Loudoun County students because of the support of our business community.
Other successful outgrowths of the initiative include Microsoft's "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day," and the AWS Think Big Space that opened at Simpson Middle School and serves the entire region.
If your business would like to get involved with a custom computer science initiative, please contact us for more information.
Contact Us
For more than 30 years, the Loudoun Education Foundation has demonstrated how community support can make meaningful educational impacts in the classroom and beyond. As an independent nonprofit, we engage our community to invest in critical and innovative programs that foster academic success and the well-being of students and educators. We fund programs that stimulate students’ curiosity, create exceptional learning opportunities, and provide needed resources to educators, students and families.