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Arkansas calls on states to advance computer science education

May 30, 2019

STEMx member state Arkansas will host key advocates for computer science in just two weeks. The summit builds on years of advances in computer science education in the state.

Last June, we talked to Anthony Owen, Arkansas’s State Director of Computer Science: Governor, teachers and others back Arkansas’s computer science push . Then, he told us “Arkansas is leading the nation in K-12 CS education.” Since then, the state’s continued to make strides. In November, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced enrollment in computer science classes in schools had jumped by 30% in just one year.

Thanks to support from Battelle, STEMx members will have a special opportunity to join the upcoming Arkansas STEM summit. Soon after, we’ll post an update here with some of our members reflections on the event. Below, we’ve included the formal announcement from Governor Hutchinson about the event:

LITTLE ROCK –  Governor Asa Hutchinson announced today that his office will host the first-ever National Computer Science Summit for State Leaders in Arkansas on June 10 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

This invitation-only event will include representatives from 26 states, including Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, and other national and international leaders in the field of computer-science education for discussion of issues such as academic standards, teacher training, budgets, and development of computer-science education policy.

“This summit is the logical next step for Arkansas as we continue to be a national leader in computer-science education,” Governor Hutchinson said. “This summit will give us direct access to national leaders in the field, and it will allow them to see in person the advances we are making and to meet the people who are making this happen.”

From his first months in office, Governor Hutchinson has promoted the expansion of computer-science education, starting with his signature on Arkansas Act 187, which required all the state’s public and charter high schools to offer a course in computer coding. The state has continued to broaden access to students K-12.

The summit will include the keynote by Hadi Partovi, founder and CEO of Code.org; and a panel discussion led by the founder of Learning Blade, Sheila Boyington, with Governor Hutchinson, Commissioner of Education Johnny Key, and state director of computer science Anthony Owen; and panel discussions with other state leaders, commissioners of education, and industry leaders.

Funding for this event is being provided by donations from Battelle and Microsoft in addition to the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Computer Science.

CONTACT:  Press Shop ( press@governor.arkansas.gov  or 501.682.3642)

By Rob Evans 01 Nov, 2023
by Heather Sherman, Director of STEMx The 2023 STEM Innovation Forum: Activating Collaborations to Advance an Inclusive STEM Workforce was a success! Through our collaboration with STEMconnector and Million Women Mentors, we convened 160 leaders from industry, government, non-profit organizations, and education institutions from all over the United States to discuss strategies and best practices to support the STEM workforce. We were honored to host a variety of dynamic speakers including: Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado Brynt Parmeter, Chief Talent Management Officer, U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Athina Kanioura, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, PepsiCo and Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, Founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (RoX). We extend our gratitude to our panelists, Learning Session speakers, and participants who joined us in Denver. Broadening participation We set out share information on trends in STEM education and workforce development, with an emphasis on broadening participation in STEM careers. Resources from sessions highlighting strategies for broadening participation are linked below: DoD STEM: Developing a STEM Workforce to Support the National Security Mission Priming the Pump for High Demand STEM Careers STEM Workforce Readiness for Teen Girls: “If She Can See It, She Can Be It” Driving change Another goal of the forum was to feature high impact strategies, programs and solutions that are driving change, and STEMx members from LASTEM , the PAST Foundation and MBRT showed how they are engaging youth and building career awareness through their workforce programs. Emerging technologies We looked towards the future to better understand how emerging technologies will change the world and the ways we must prepare STEM talent for jobs in logistics, artificial intelligence, research safety , bioenergy , and renewable technologies. Chevron‘s sponsored panel, “Cultivating the Talent to Drive the Innovation and Technologies for Ever-Cleaner Energy” was a rich discussion featuring experts from Chevron, Project Lead the Way and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dr. Jamie Vernon, Executive Director, and CEO, Sigma Xi Society was a fantastic moderator for this discussion. Next steps We have linked event resources including videos, slide decks and collateral on the event landing page . The event photo gallery is located there as well. If you attended, please complete our 30 second event survey . Five lucky winners will be selected at random to receive a Forum water bottle! More importantly, your feedback matters to us. If you did not attend, mark your calendar for next fall - we’re looking to make next year even bigger! If you are interested in hosting in your state, or have thoughts about compelling content that we should include, please reach out to Heather Sherman .
By Rob Evans 03 Oct, 2023
Join us for The STEM Innovation Forum: Activating Collaborations to Advance an Inclusive STEM Workforce
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