As a strong advocate of introducing coding at the elementary level, Apple has expanded its Community Education Initiative (CEI) to more schools and communities in partnership with California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH).
In a new article, the company detailed that CSUDH engaged in various activities with elementary and middle school students from all backgrounds to provide them an opportunity to new science and technology skills like app design in the past several weeks.
- CSUDH hosted over 300 elementary and middle school students from Los Angeles at its Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) lab for a “STEAM Max” event.
- Started after-school coding clubs and a regular Saturday STEM Exploration Day where activities are coached by CSUDH computer science majors at six elementary and middle schools.
In just three years since its launch, Apple CEI is expanded across 99 countries and regions, and all 50 states
Apple launched Community Education Initiative (CEI) in 2019 to offer coding, creativity, and career opportunities to learners of all ages, especially from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in technology in collaboration with schools, educational institutions, and community-based organizations.
Now, the program is expanded to learners across 99 countries and regions, and all 50 states.
As part of Apple’s Community Education Initiative, CSUDH has introduced the STEAM experiences to approximately 2,000 students and teachers across greater Los Angeles. The program is expected to reach 4,000 learners more across 40 schools this year.
Dr. Kamal Hamdan, director of CSUDH’s CISE lab said:
“What astonishes me the most is what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short period of time because of this unique partnership with Apple,” said Dr. Kamal Hamdan, director of CSUDH’s CISE lab.
Thousands of students who would have never had access to this type of learning have gone though one of our programs, and you can’t put a dollar amount on those experiences. It’s a testament to the fact that when two organizations with like-minded values put their hearts and their heads toward a common goal, the sky is the limit in terms of how many lives we can change.”
Such programs will surely help young girls to explore a future in technology, an industry that lacks female representation.
In a recent interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that there are absolutely no excuses for the lack of women in the tech industry. He emphasized the importance of Apple’s programs like CEI and Swift that offer early exposure to coding to young learners which would hopefully “change the number of people that are taking computer science and programming” because “the essence of technology and its effect on humanity depends upon women being at the table.”
Read More:
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- Apple commits $30 million to expand its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative in the United States
- Apple challenges systemic racism in the United Stated by launching new “Racial Equity and Justice Initiative projects”
- Apple expanding “Today at Apple Creative Studios” initiative to seven new cities
