Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools Jan/Feb 2018 | Page 18

$40,000 coding grant to fund new courses and training sessions at Porter Ridge Middle and High
Porter Ridge Middle and High
creation and apply it to creating their
recently received a $40,000 Coding and
own applications to solve real or future
Mobile App Development Grant from the
world problems.
NC Department of Public Instruction.
These courses are expected to
The grant will support the schools’
provide students with the necessary
current robotics and coding programs,
background to succeed in Porter
expand partnerships with local
Ridge High’s grant-funded Advanced
universities and create opportunities for
Placement Computer Science Principles
students and staff to attend trainings,
course, which is designed to prepare
conferences and coding boot camps.
students for the rigors of college while
“Science, technology, engineering,
also teaching important computing
arts and math (STEAM) is something
skills that can be applied across a wide
that is college-focused, district-focused, The $40,000 Coding and Mobile App Development
range of careers and disciplines.
and is a focus for the Porter Ridge
Additionally, with resources provided
Grant grant will support Porter Ridge Middle
cluster,” said Porter Ridge High Principal and High robotics and coding programs, expand
by the grant, Porter Ridge Middle and
Dr. Bashawn Harris. “And this grant is a partnerships with local universities and create
High will expand their partnership with
new avenue for students to expand the opportunities for students and staff to attend
UNC Charlotte and offer university-led
trainings, conferences and coding boot camps.
education process.”
trainings, conferences and coding boot
As STEAM-based schools, the Mobile
camps to students and staff through
App Development Grant will allow Porter Ridge Middle and High to classroom-based instruction or online, virtual summer models.
more closely align the courses offered to students in sixth through
“The focus of the grant is to teach students about web
12th grades, with a goal of ultimately better preparing all of the
development and how to work with mobile apps. But coding
students in the Porter Ridge cluster for high-demand and high-
deals with everything, including problem solving, critical thinking
skilled occupations.
and collaboration,” said Porter Ridge Middle Principal Dr. Brian
Porter Ridge Middle students will use the school’s existing
Patience. “These skills are certainly going to be important when
robotics courses as a prerequisite for the new grant-funded
you translate that to any career, and they will certainly be
App Creators and Introduction to Computer Science courses.
beneficial to anything they do in the future.”
The App Creators course will allow students to take what they
–This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools
have learned in problem solving, game simulations and website
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