Collaborating with CSTA for Computer Science Education Week

Abstract

The ACM CoMMiTTee for CoMpuTing eduCATion in CoMMuniTy Colleges (CCECC) is pleased to collaborate with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) for participation in the third annual Computer Science Education (CS Ed) Week. This year CS Ed Week is December 4 -10 in honor of the late visionary computer scientist, Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, whose birthday falls on December 9. Many of America’s community colleges are partnering with their local businesses and industries to prepare students for new Information Technology-related careers. Straddling between what is considered Information Technology-infused and the more traditional Information Technology programs per se, these emergent associate degrees highlight the increasing opportunities available to students for pairing their varied non-IT career interests with core IT content. As a result, colleges are attracting a diverse range of students into associatedegree programs not only tailored to today’s career opportunities but also built on strong foundational computing skills well suited for ongoing professional growth and career development. Together the CCECC and CSTA have created an eye-catching poster showcasing forward-looking occupations in the computing field along with their related associate-degree programs. This attractive poster highlights representative samplings of possible associate-degree pathways currently offered in a variety of America’s colleges. Example pathway instantiations are described below.