The tech giant Google, is offering grants to 31 universities and non-profit organizations to promote computer science (CS) education. They will develop CS programs for teachers to hone their skills, which they will pass on to their students. Zurich based startup We Are Play Lab is among the selected organisations.
The fast evolvement of digital technologies brings vast opportunities including more jobs. According to the article by Google, 21 million new jobs will be created in the next 10 to 15 years. Therefore, Computer Science (CS) plays a crucial role in equipping students with the technical skills to embrace these new opportunities and career choices. CS education includes design, data, algorithms and the study of computer systems, while also promoting crucial skills such as collaboration, problem solving and creativity.
“We believe every student should have the opportunity to learn CS; with that comes the responsibility of preparing teachers to deliver a CS curriculum with competence and confidence”, says Claire Conneely Program Manager, Computer Science Education, EMEA.
To ensure all young people have the opportunity to learn computer science (CS), Google is offering grants to 31 universities and non-profit organizations across 16 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to provide professional development for CS educators.
The google grants will enable the 31 selected participants to develop professional development (PD) programs specifically for CS teachers—those already teaching the subject and those completely new to the field. Through these PD programs, teachers will be able to grow their skills and knowledge to provide an exemplary educational experience for their students. Over the coming year, the awardees in EMEA will provide a combined 500 hours of professional learning opportunities for 10,000 primary, secondary and pre-service teachers.
We are Play Lab among the awardees
Among the selected 31 organisations is the Zurich based startup, We Are Play Lab (WAP). WAP offers an online platform to provide parents and educators, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers with actionable ways to foster critical 21st century skills in today’s young people. The startup is focusing on the development of character qualities and competencies through the provision of insightful research and best practices on the topics that promote social and emotional learning.
As a participant in Google’s education program, We Are Play Hub will develop a scalable and experiential learning experience based on playful learning principles and creative and collaborative problem-solving strategies. The aim is to enable primary and secondary teachers to understand basic principles of computer science, key principles of computational thinking and learn how to connect these principles to the existing curriculum and use them on an ongoing basis in the classroom.
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