CS Changemakers - Shaping an Inclusive Digital Future

Infosys General Counsel and Infosys Foundation USA Chairperson Inderpreet Sawhney is enthusiastic about the impact digital education can have on young girls. She emphasizes the importance of bringing communities into the digital framework and empowering them with digital skills.

Code Nation, a nonprofit, focuses on guiding students toward tech careers through computer science education and industry exposure. CEO Ron Summers stresses the significance of inclusivity, advocating for equitable access and representation in K-12 education.

Deaf Kids Code, a non-profit, empowers deaf and hard of hearing students through computer science, technology, and design thinking, aiming to break barriers and provide opportunities often lacking in mainstream education. Founded by Shireen Hafeez, a mother who is passionate about creating access, the organization fosters talent, offers free resources, and champions the belief that all students can become technology creators.

Vishal Goenka founded the 2Sigma School based on the belief that high-quality education is essential, and technology can play a significant role in improving access. The 2Sigma School provides virtual computer science instruction to high schools, particularly targeting underserved communities and girls. The school offers a range of courses from middle school to college level and aims to provide a high-quality, personalized learning experience.

Gareth Stockdale, CEO of the Micro:bit Foundation, discusses the foundation's mission to inspire every child to create their best digital future through a physical computing device called the micro:bit. With over seven and a half million micro:bits manufactured and an estimated reach of 42 million children, the foundation focuses on broadening participation, changing attitudes towards coding, and fostering creativity and innovation among students globally.

Senior Direct of Education Initiatives at Adobe, Ben Forta, emphasizes the importance of recognizing and nurturing the innate creativity of young kids in the context of technology. He sees the need to shift young people from being mere consumers of technology to becoming creators, highlighting the role of tools like Adobe Express in democratizing access to creative tools for educational purposes.

Last Mile Education Fund Founder and CEO Ruthe Farmer shares stories of young women facing barriers in their computer science education and career due to financial constraints. To address these challenges, Farmer founded the Last Mile Education Fund, which provides rapid grants to low-income students in STEM fields to help them overcome barriers and graduate.

Rebecca Dorsey discusses the Teacher Quality and Retention Program (TQRP), highlighting its mission to recruit, train, and retain educators from diverse backgrounds, both traditional and non-traditional. She emphasizes the program's three-year track supporting pre-service teachers, its impact as a support system for educators, and its recent focus on STEM and computer science to address the digital divide and prepare students for the evolving digital economy.

Dr. Loretta Cheeks, CEO, Strong TIES, discusses her commitment to advancing marginalized groups, particularly African American, Latinx, Hispanic, and Native American indigenous people in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Dr. Cheeks emphasizes the importance of using culturally relevant curricula and integrating the arts into learning.

Leigh Ann DeLyser, Co-founder and Executive Director of CSforALL, discusses their nonprofit's systems change approach to computer science education in the United States. She emphasizes the importance of equitable access to computer science education for all youth, working with schools, districts, communities, and government agencies to achieve this goal.

Geri Ewing, CEO and Co-founder of Firia Labs, discusses their platform for teaching Python programming through physical computing, aiming to empower both students and teachers. She emphasizes the importance of problem-solving in computer science and highlights the real-world applications of coding in various fields.

Debbie Sterling, Founder and CEO of GoldieBlox, shares her journey from college to creating GoldieBlox toys and media, inspiring girls to pursue STEM fields. She discusses the impact of representation in STEM, highlighting GoldieBlox's YouTube channel and collaborations like "Code a Song" with Black Girls Code to make coding exciting and accessible for girls.

Alex Servello, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Verizon, oversees transformative learning spaces where students engage with cutting-edge technology and a design thinking curriculum. The program empowers students and educators alike, offering a career pathway for teachers and an open-access platform, Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, for nationwide educational enhancement.