Examining Undergraduate Computer Science Participation in North Carolina

Former U.S. President Obama put forth the initiative'CSForAll' in order to prepare all students to learn computer science (CS) skills and be prepared for the digital economy. The'ForAll' portion of the title emphasizes the importance of inclusion in computing via the participation and creation of tools by and for diverse populations in order to "avoid the consequences of narrowly focused AI (computing and other) applications, including the risk of biases in developing algorithms, by taking advantage of a broader spectrum of experience, backgrounds, and opinions."10 Throughout this report, the Obama administration highlighted the number one priority, and challenge, of the field of CS: to equip the next generation with CS knowledge and skills equitably in preparation for the currency of the digital economy. An increase in government funding is part of the initiative for CSForAll. Of the $4 billion pledged in state funding, only $100 million is sent directly to the K–12 school system.17 The rest of the funding is set aside for research and initiatives involving policymakers to help expand CS opportunities. In just one year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) were called to make $135 million in CS funding available.17 The initiative also called for "expanding access to prior NSF supported programs and professional learning communities through their CS10k that led to the creation of more inclusive and accessible CS education curriculum including "Exploring CS and Advanced Placement (AP) CS Principles."