Our new Middle School Pathways in Computer Science project, funded by the National Science Foundation Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program, will bring project-based, socially-relevant computing experiences to district middle school students. This new program is a partnership of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), the Tri-City Technology Education Collaborative Inc. (TRITEC), and the Medford and Everett Public School districts.
This partnership will result in a 15- to 20-hour computing curriculum developed by the middle school teachers that is integrated with their existing district technology and engineering courses during the school year. The project will also conduct intensive 30-hour summer camps for students at each middle school every summer.
The computer science curriculum will include creative project work and career awareness activities. Using MIT App Inventor, a program used to create mobile apps, students will develop their own apps to address socially-relevant needs in their communities. They will share their apps with each other, their friends, family, schools and community. In the summer intensive program, students will work with community partners and make apps that have a broader reach. University computer science students and industry professionals will visit project classrooms and work with middle school students.