TEALS Program gives LRHS students a head start in computer science

Students at Lind-Ritzville High School have the opportunity this year to participate in an advanced computer science course as a part of Microsoft’s Technology Education and Literacy in Schools program.

This program brings students into contact with information technology professionals to help fill the growing gap between skilled computer science graduates and the number of job opportunities in computer science.

The program has partnered with 131 schools in 18 different states with 490 software engineers from companies including Microsoft, Google and Amazon volunteering to teach students computer programming. Of the 131 schools involved in the program 46 are located in Washington state.

Eight students at Lind-Ritzville High School have signed up for the course and meet regularly with their teacher, Dr. Chris Jones, PhD, via webcam technology set up by Microsoft for the class.

This summer Jones assisted the high school with installing the hardware required to teach the course remotely. The hardware was funded by a $9,500 grant which the school received to provide students with the opportunity to take the course.

The course is meant to be similar to a college level course in computer science in which students will learn the basics of Java script computer programming and at the end of the year have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement Computer Science exam. Students who score higher than a four on the exam will receive college credit for the course.

The TEALS program began in 2009 when Microsoft partnered with one school. It had one volunteer teaching 12 students.

The program has grown each year, with Microsoft projecting over 6,600 students participating in the program and over 2,200 students participating in Advanced Placement during the 2014-2015 school year.

The TEALS program has also brought computer science classes into 50 schools, which previously did not offer such programs. With volunteer support increasing, Microsoft expects the program to continue expanding each year.

The program is also attracting individuals from underrepresented demographics in the computer science community.

Microsoft reports a third of TEALS program students are women compared to the 20 percent of industry professionals who are women.

The program has been featured in major news networks all over the country. The Lind-Ritzville class was featured on a KREM 2 special on Sept. 10, which documented the outreach of Microsoft into rural school districts.

More information about the TEALS program can be found online at http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship under the YouthSpark tab.