BCS: The Chartered Institute for IT, is an international organization with more than 70,000 members worldwide, 40 branches in the UK, 16 international sections, and over 45 specialist groups including a young professionals group and BCS women. Their goal is to promote and advance the education and practice of computing for the benefit of the public. The USA Section is among the 16 international sections. The BCS, USA Section, has a Southeast Regional Group (SERG) which is comprised of members from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, North Caroline, and South Carolina. The Southeast Regional Group hosts a number of networking and informational events each year which offer the opportunity for those in industry and academia to share stimulating discussions on a wide range of information, communications and technology topics and cutting edge issues.
Youth Code - CACP Funded to Develop Youth Interests in Computer Programming
Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP), in collaboration with BCS -The Chartered Institute for IT, Southeast Regional Group (SERG) received special project funding from BCS headquarters in London, UK. The money will enable the launch of the Easy as Pi Youth Code (Youth Code) pilot project. Youth Code is an education and outreach activity designed to engage local K-12 students in computer programming and stimulate an interest in pursuing computer science degrees and eventual careers. The program will distribute Raspberry Pi programmable computers, development supplies and peripherals to fifteen Grady High School students participating in their after school Coding Club. They will work in teams of 2-5 students to program and develop projects. At the end of the 2014-2015 academic year the students will have the opportunity to showcase their work at a culminating event on Georgia Tech’s campus. SERG members will provide training, demonstrations and technical support to the faculty advisers and their teams throughout the course of the program.
Program goals:
- To enable girls, minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged youth the opportunity to discover and advance their computer science talents.
- To educate students on components of computer programming in a way that engrosses their imaginations and enables them to develop technical solutions to real-world problems.
- To engage students in a meaningful and fun computer science experience that incentivizes them to strive for all-around academic excellence.
- To encourage students to pursue degrees and eventual careers in a computer science field.
- To serve the community by preparing graduates with the problem solving skills needed for 21st century success.
The SERG Committee chair, Ken Bernard, treasurer, Paul Burton and secretary, Salimah LaForce hopes to expand the program to other schools in the Atlanta area. More funding and volunteers would be needed to support such an expansion. If you are interested, contact Salimah LaForce (salimah@cacp.gatech.edu).
Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) is a research and policy development unit at the Georgia Institute of Technology, with a focus on advanced communications. Relevant areas of expertise include wireless communications and platforms; vulnerable populations; and new communication modes, including social networking, virtual worlds, open source process and publishing, and electronic games. CACP has an established record in educational research and development, particularly in the use of wireless technological applications and distance learning to improve science and technology education. It has also worked to improve STEM education access for learners with disabilities.