NC Computer Science Professional Development

A grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will give the Friday Institute the ability to expand its professional learning programs to offer Code.org’s professional learning free to North Carolina educators. These trainings are intensive, highly supportive programs designed to prepare educators who have not necessarily taught or studied computer science previously. Educators across the state can now register at a training site nearest them to complete the computer science professional development that best suits their instructional needs.

Why CS?

North Carolina’s Computer Science Initiative aims to help students learn computer science concepts and gain skills to actively engage as informed participants in a technology-driven world. NCDPI and the North Carolina State Board of Education have added computer science to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and created the first K-12 computer science standards for North Carolina.

Providing more opportunities for all of North Carolina’s students to have access to AP computer science courses helps prepare them for secondary education options and eliminates opportunity gaps. Research from West Coast Analytics shows that students who take Code.org’s AP Computer Science Principles are 12% more likely to enroll in college, and students who take any AP computer science course are 17% more likely to attend college. Women who try AP Computer Science in high school are 10 times more likely to major in it, and Black and Latinx students are seven times more likely. 

Even if students do not pursue computer science in secondary education or as a career, studying computer science teaches universal skills such as problem-solving and teamwork.

Free Professional Learning Opportunities

These programs support educators with diverse teaching backgrounds as they prepare to teach any of the following courses or plan to integrate CS practices into their existing curriculum and instruction:

Computer Science Discoveries (CSD) 

Targeted specifically for teachers of students in grades 6-10, this training takes a wide lens on CS and prepares educators to teach this intro course. Topics covered focus on problem-solving, programming, and user-centered design while inspiring students to build their own digital content. CSD can be taught as a single semester or multi-semester course, over a full school year, or integrated with other content units. Learn More

Computer Science Principles (CSP)

Thinking of launching a CS class in your school? CSP covers a wide variety of computer science principles, creating the condition of CS concepts and how computing and technology can impact the world. Training provides accessible and equitable content for educators to share with high school students as either an introductory CS course or as a College Board AP course. Learn More

Computer Science A (CSA) 

Computer Science A (or AP CSA) is the first AP course that was developed for high school students to learn computer science. Focused on learning and applying the Java programming language, AP CSA introduces students to software engineering and object-oriented design. Students should have taken an introductory CS course prior to AP CSA. Learn More

These professional development opportunities are at no cost to NC educators or their districts, thanks to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation is North Carolina’s regional partner for Code.org.

Registration Information

For ease of access and to bring professional development directly to educators, professional development training locations have been spread across the state of North Carolina. View the dropdown menus below to locate the training site closest to you and the dates workshops are offered. To register, visit the Code.org site here, click on the Apply Now button and enter in your ZIP code to find the closest training site. Follow the prompts to complete your registration with Code.org. Please note the date of the trainings, as they vary across locations.

As appropriate, lodging will be provided for participants that live at least 60 minutes away from the training site. A dinner per diem (as outlined by state policy) will be offered for those eligible for lodging. Mileage will be reimbursed at the state rate for participants making round trips that exceed 90 miles. We encourage you to find a location close to you so the travel time and cost are limited.

Stipend

Teachers who complete the five-day summer professional development training, plus three out of four quarterly workshops to be held on Saturdays throughout the 2023-24 school year, will be eligible to receive a $1,000 stipend.

Professional Development Locations

Questions?

Contact the CS Professional Learning Team at code@fi.ncsu.edu.

Partners