COLLEGE OF

Education and Human Development

Northern Lights Collaborative receives $1.36M Google.org Grant to expand computer science in teacher education

Northern Lights Collaborative for Computing Education has been awarded grants of more than $2.2 million, including a subaward to Georgia State University, from Google.org for PrepareCS. PrepareCS is a partnership between the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Georgia State University. This funding will advance computer science (CS) education by integrating CS training into preservice teacher education programs, including the development of pathways for CS teachers, across the United States. Many states are adopting and implementing K-12 CS education policies and initiatives, and new teacher candidates will need to understand computer science, including state standards and licensure options, as they graduate and begin work in K-12 schools.

The three-year project targets states with minimal CS teacher preparation infrastructure and seeks to enable universities to develop plans to incorporate CS into teacher training by strengthening faculty knowledge and preservice teachers' readiness. The PrepareCS program brings together key stakeholder teams across institutions of higher education and state education agencies to participate in a workshop and follow-up activities that will raise awareness and build capacity for computer science (CS) in preservice education. The program supports schools of education and state CS education leaders in collaborating to add CS to teacher education programs. This initiative aligns with Google.org's mission to create equitable access to technology education.

The following ten members were selected to participate in the first PrepareCS cohort:

  • Appalachian State University (NC)
  • Coastal Carolina University (SC)
  • Marquette University (WI)
  • Mississippi State University (MS)
  • New Mexico State University (NM)
  • Southeastern Louisiana University (LA)
  • The Citadel (SC)
  • University of Maine (ME)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities & Morris campuses (MN)
  • University of Tennessee Knoxville (TN)

A second cohort of teams will be selected in Spring 2025. Application information and deadlines will be posted on Northern Lights Collaborative’s website.