Mission Texas is on the Forefront of 21st Century Education
New York, NY — September 28, 2017– Code/Interactive (C/I), the Mission Consolidated Independent School District (MCISD), and the Mission Economic Development Corporation (Mission EDC), will gather at R. Cantu Jr. High School on Friday, October 6, 2017, at 9:30am to announce the launch of an instructional computer science initiative. The goal of the initiative is to educate and equip Mission CISD junior high and high school students with a foundational understanding of computation and the skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
The program, which will impact nearly 600 students, includes teacher training in Scratch , CS Discoveries, and Exploring Computer Science, researched backed computer science curriculums known for their innovative and equitable approach to the subject. Educators will be introducing and integrating the courses during the school year and will attend quarterly supplemental teacher trainings to reinforce their curriculum knowledge. In addition to the trainings, Code/Interactive will be convening meetings for educators in Mission and the surrounding areas to foster a supportive and innovative computer science education community.
“This public/private initiative will help ensure that even more students will learn computer science, a skill set that is increasingly important to access career opportunities in today’s economy. Through our expertise and leadership in bringing computer science education to school districts, we are excited to implement this initiative. We are extremely grateful to the Mission EDC for their sponsorship of the program and to Dr. Ricardo López, the MCISD Superintendent of Schools for his visionary leadership,” said Tom O’Connell, Code/Interactive’s Interim Executive Director.
The partnership between Code/Interactive, the Mission Consolidated School District, the Mission Economic Development Corporation is, according to Julia Barraford-Temel, Code/Interactive’s Mission Program Manager, “ A momentous move to bridging the access gap in computer science. I’m thrilled to be working with innovative leaders such as Cynthia Wilson, the Executive Director for Secondary Education for MCISD, and Alex Meade, the CEO of Mission EDC as we implement the initiative. Our partnership puts Mission, Texas on the forefront of making computer science education synonymous with reading, writing, and math.”
The announcement will take place at R. Cantu Jr. High School on Friday, October 6, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. The Junior High School is located at 5101 N. Stewart Rd, Palmhurst (Stewart at Four Mile). Immediately following the public announcement, photo and video opportunities will be available in a classroom where the new initiative is being implemented.
To receive more information about partnering with Code/Interactive in the Rio Grande Valley please email
Julia Barraford-Temel at j ules@codeinteractive.org or visit www.codeinteracative.org
About Code/Interactive:
Code/Interactive (C/I) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that trains educators and builds inclusive computer science program. We envision a future where all students have access to computer science education. Our subjects enhance technical and computational thinking skills which are linchpins in pursuing high-paying
technology jobs in the 21st-century economy. With said jobs predicted to number over a million by 2020 and 60% of schools not teaching computer science, our program not only gives students a chance to improve their economic mobility and health, but that of their communities as well. In the 2016-2017 school year,
Code/Interactive trained over 200 teachers from 7 states, fostering the computer science education of over 5,000 K-12 students. In the 2017-2018 school year, C/I will support 600 teachers across 12+ states, reaching over 21,000 students. For more information, visit www.codeinteractive.org .
About the Mission Consolidated School District:
The Mission CISD prepares and inspires all students to be equipped to excel in the college and career of their choice, dominate 21st century skills in leadership, knowledge, language, and technology to compete in a global economy and serve as successful citizens in their community. For more information, visit www.coding4tx.org
About the Mission Economic Development Corporation:
The Mission Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to creating a workforce with 21st century skills and a first class environment for conducting business recruitment, retention, and expansion while maintaining a steadfast focus on quality of life for the citizens of Mission. For more information, visit http://www.missionedc.com
