Broadening Participation in Computing

It is often thought that if you offer a CS class, students will naturally enroll if interested, and those are the students for which a CS is designed and intended. However, this is not always the case. Many students, even with a natural interest in CS, might not enroll in a CS class for a wide variety of reasons. Many young women and students of color are not fully represented in CS course enrollment. CS instructors can actively recruit students but having an effective partnership with a school counselor can help increase interest and participation. Counselors can reach even more students, are integral parts of the registration process, and can be CS teacher's greatest champions. Simply offering a course will not create CS for All and/or equity. A planned and focused effort is required, and the work of a teacher and counselor in partnership can be an essential part of this. In this presentation, you will learn ways to use the teacher/counselor partnership to positively affect student interest and participation in CS.