Chicago Schools and Colleges to Deliver Coding Ed to 500K Students -- Campus Technology

Breaking News

Chicago Schools and Colleges to Deliver Coding Ed to 500K Students

By Dian Schaffhauser
01/19/18

The city of Chicago wants to introduce its students to coding by expanding its use of Apple's "Everyone Can Code" program in K-12 and community colleges. A collaboration with the Mayor's Office, Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago and local businesses and non-profit organizations will help introduce almost 500,000 young people to coding beginning this year. Those students will learn how to work with Swift, a programing language developed by Apple that has been used to create apps for Airbnb, KAYAK, TripAdvisor and Yelp.

Starting this spring, schools will use Apple-created curriculum and materials. That includes the launch of "App Development with Swift" courses at the colleges, to help students gain skills in programming and app development.

At the K-12 level, the schools will launch Swift coding clubs in after-school programs. Those are intended to introduce students to the basics of coding and Swift and walk them through an app design and prototyping project.

Volunteers from Apple and locally based businesses, including GE Transportation, IBM, Jellyvision, Lextech, McDonald's, Rush University Medical Center, Ulta Beauty and United Airlines, will support the students.

"Everyone Can Code gives students opportunities to learn new skills and develop a strong foundation in STEM to prepare them for a successful future in the 21st-century economy," said Janice Jackson, acting chief executive officer at Chicago Public Schools, in a prepared statement. "This initiative introduces coding curriculum that develops core skills, creativity, collaboration and problem solving, which will help lay the groundwork for a successful future."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Reports Note Increasing Threat of Nation-State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks

A bevy of new cybersecurity reports point to the continuing problem of nation-state-sponsored threat actors. The primary culprits have long been Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, which all show up in recently published reports from Microsoft, IBM, Tenable, and Fortinet.
OpenStax Celebrates 25th Anniversary

OpenStax is celebrating its 25th anniversary as 2024 comes to a close. The open educational resources initiative from Rice University has served almost 37 million students in 153 countries and saved students nearly $3 billion in course material costs since its launch in 1999.
St. Cloud State University Adds Four Tech Bootcamps via Upright Partnership

To meet the growing demand for tech professionals in the state, Minnesota's St. Cloud State University is partnering with Upright to launch four career-focused bootcamps that will provide in-demand skills in software development, UX/UI design, data analytics, and digital marketing.
Digital Layers and Human Ties: Navigating the CIO's Dilemma in Higher Education

As technology permeates every aspect of life on campus, efficiency and convenience may come at the cost of human connection and professional identity.