(May 10, 2016 – Austin, TX) In an effort to increase the number of certified computer science teachers in Texas, an online version of the WeTeach_CS Certification Preparation course is launching June 14. (Registration is available now.) Directed to K-12 teachers, the course is designed to improve competencies for the 141 TExES Texas Education Agency’s 8-12 Computer Science Certification Test. After a teacher passes the exam and applies for certification, a $1,000 stipend will be awarded by the Texas Regional Collaboratives (TRC) thanks to support from 100Kin10 and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). AT&T supported the development of this online program with a $50,000 contribution through AT&T Aspire – its signature philanthropic initiative to help ensure students have the skills needed to succeed in the current and future workforce.

On February 24th at the 2016 Blueprint for Educational Change Summit, the Center for STEM Education was recognized as an Architect of Change. This year, E3 Alliance featured four community organizations which were invaluable change agents across the educational continuum in Central Texas. Dr. Debbie Plowman has served as the project manager for E3 Alliance’s collaborative efforts with the Center for STEM Education’s TRC program via the Middle...

In late 2015, Catherine Riegle-Crumb was appointed as the first Associate Director of STEM Education Research in the Center for STEM Education, housed in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Riegle-Crumb, an Associate Professor of STEM Education at the University of Texas at Austin will lead the research arm of the Center for STEM Education. “I envision the Center for STEM Education becoming a nationally recognized...

Equity in STEM Education forms the core of the March 2016 issue of .Edu, the online magazine of the College of Education. As part of this month’s STEM focus, the personnel and activities of the Center for STEM Education are featured in multiple articles.   One Big Question The issue’s One Big Question feature asks, “How can we increase underrepresented students’ access and engagement with STEM content?” To...

On February 3, 2016, the Center for STEM Education Center played host to over 120 computer science educators at the Google Fiber Space in downtown Austin. Held during TCEA’s Annual Convention and Exposition, the WeTeachCS Mixer provided an opportunity for CS educators from across Texas to network, share ideas, and begin building a statewide professional learning community. This opportunity to connect with the larger CS education community...

President Obama’s Computer Science for All announcement contained a familiar face for many computer science educators in Texas. Computer science advocate Karen North appeared in a section called Policymaker Spotlights. Not surprising, as she was recently named one of the White House’s Computer Science Champions of Change. Each Champions of Change event features a group of Americans–individuals, businesses and...