Computer science education is becoming integrated in more schools across the nation thanks to more state, community, and district involvement. This means that more kids than ever before have access to computer science and coding education. In this blog, we're highlighting the work our partners at Chula Vista Elementary School District and the YMCA have done to support their students in computer science.

Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) is the largest elementary school district in California. Their high volume of students creates a diverse community where many students, especially students participating in afterschool, may not have computers or access to the internet at home. 

Providing Students with Opportunities to Learn Computer Science

With the goal to give all students resources and knowledge to successfully participate in the society of the twenty-first century, district leaders at CVESD decided to add computer science (CS) to their enrichment activities in their afterschool program. CVESD and their partners at the YMCA decided to provide their lower-income program cites with a student-led CS solution to give students access to a CS education that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. 

Some of [our] students might not have a computer at home or access to the internet. Us having devices, internet, and the Skill Struck platform available at the school site is not just helping us improve equity, but actually putting [these students] ahead of the game.” - Nestor Munoz, Stretch Program director at YMCA

Implementing a student-led and easy-to-use solution was essential to adding CS to their enrichment activities. With Skill Struck, each student can access built-in curriculum, games, checkpoints, activities, and projects that are self-paced and assessed through an autograder. Teachers and afterschool site leads did not need prior coding experience to implement Skill Struck. 

“Going into Skill Struck I had no idea what I was getting myself into because I had no knowledge or background in coding. For me, I am learning with the kids, which is something many afterschool programs can do.” - Coach Ryan. YMCA Stretch Program Site lead

“What we like about the platform is that it’s really self-guided. The students can go into the level that is set for them and then build off of that. If they need to go back through the lessons to fine-tune what they are working on they can do that too." - Priscilla Garza, Expanded Learning Program Specialist at CVESD

The Results | Since Skill Struck Implementation June 2021

• Each student has engaged in 600+ hours of coding
• 1000+ new coding puzzles have been completed. 
• Added Skill Struck to 5 more Afterschool Program sites.

“Here at the district, we are very equity-focused on the students. With the Skill Struck coding program, it has definitely opened up an experience for all students to think about careers in computer science that they never had the opportunity to do before. Not only is it providing access to all of our students but we are also creating those career paths using this coding program.” - Priscilla Garza, Expanded Learning Program Specialist at CVESD

If you want to learn more about how Skill Struck can help your district implement a computer science pathway into your afterschool programs, get a demo at www.skillstruck.com/get-demo.