News
April 13, 2021Academy of the Holy Names Expands Young Women’s Access to Computer Science Education and Career Development
Academy of the Holy Names has received recognition from the College Board for expanding young women’s access to computer science education and career development by offering the AP Computer Science Principles course (CSP). The high school’s CSP course is a full-year course culminating in an exam and an in-class project that is submitted to the College Board for evaluation. The course covers how computers work, how computers can be used to solve real-world problems and the impacts of this technology on our lives.
Fifteen students, juniors and seniors, were enrolled in the 2019-2020 course, and it is being offered again for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Providing female students with access to computer science courses is critical to ensuring gender parity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and representation. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $88,240 in May 2019. However, a code.org analysis of 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics data finds women represent just 24% of the 5 million people in computing occupations.
“AP Computer Science Principles connects creativity and collaboration through the lens of programming and data processing,” explained course teacher Matt Baxter. “This course is a great opportunity to introduce students to many possible careers that do not have much exposure in core classes.”
