Bank of America and Code.org® have announced a partnership to expand access to computer science to students in grades K-12 in socioeconomically challenged schools. The volunteer program is being announced as a part of Computer Science Education Week (December 9-15), with in-school visits beginning in early 2020. Bank of America is the first financial services institution to establish a partnership like this with Code.org®.
As part of a $250,000 donation from Bank of America, the program will begin with a focus on underserved campuses in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the second-largest school district in North Carolina. Bank of America technology teammates will volunteer their time to teach “The Hour of Code,” a campaign that introduces students to their first hour of computer science.
“Technology is changing rapidly today and this change will continue into the future,” said Cathy Bessant, Bank of America’s chief operations and technology officer, who is based at the company’s headquarters in Charlotte. “Bank of America takes seriously its role in building a workforce capable of handling transformation. This partnership will provide an opportunity to engage our employees across the U.S. in helping to do just that.”
Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. The organization provides the leading curriculum for grades K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the United States.
"Code.org’s vision is to give every student in every school a chance to learn computer science. This opportunity should not depend on a student's race or socioeconomic background,” said Alice Steinglass, president of Code.org®. “Research shows that introducing computer science to students early in life leads to more students – especially female and underrepresented minority students – pursuing computer science as a long term major and/or career.”
The program is expected to expand to other cities across the United States and include other activities such as professional learning for teachers, which helps develop more computer science teachers and fills a critical gap in the U.S. education system.
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Mark Pipitone, Bank of America
Phone: 1.980.387.4907
mark.pipitone@bofa.com