Congratulations to Northeast Academy for Advanced and Aerospace Technologies (NEAAAT)! A Coalition member school in Elizabeth City, NEAAAT is the state’s only public charter school to win a new grant to develop students’ computer science skills through coding. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt announced the grant winners earlier today in a press release. Along with NEAAAT, 12 school districts will receive the grants this year.
NEAAAT also won a coding grant in 2021. Read here about the charter school’s use of that grant.
Boosting students’ STEM skills through coding and business partnerships
Begun in 2017, the Coding and Mobile App Development Grant Program is funded by the N.C. General Assembly. (See statute here.) It seeks to boost the STEM skills of middle and high school students, leveraging partnerships with local businesses. Students benefit from coursework as well as work-based learning. Last year, around 8,500 students participated in the program.
Here’s the description of grant awards from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction:
The grants, which range from nearly $80,000 to $25,000 this year, help districts and schools purchase equipment, digital materials and cover the costs associated with teacher professional development to build capacity in coding, computer science and mobile application development initiatives.
… Partnerships include a variety of business and industry connections across the state, including such companies and organizations as STEM West, Sesame Technologies, Lee Chevrolet, Innovation Barn, Google Data Center, Stemerald City, LLC, Esports Performance Academy, Winston-Salem State University, and VectorCSP.
Here’s the list of grant recipients from DPI:
Source: N.C. Department of Public Instruction, “13 Districts and Schools Earn $800,000 in Coding and Mobile App Grants,” November 10, 2022 press release.
