MIAMI, FL, October 20, 2021 – Code/Art today announced it will be expanding its award-winning Intro to Creative Coding Professional Development (PD) program to five key cities with support from the PPG Foundation. The $43,500 grant will be used to train and equip up to 75 K-12 teachers in Miami, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, and Huntsville to lead Code/Art’s self-portrait lesson and encourage their female students to submit their portraits in Code/Art’s annual CodeYourSelf™ coding competition for girls in grades 3-12.
The program will prioritize teachers from Title I schools and other schools with limited or no computer science (CS) classes and is aimed at leveling the playing field for girls and minorities in CS. The program will also prioritize art teachers over CS and career technical education (CTE) teachers in order to reach a higher percentage of girls as well as to expand CS teaching capacity in K-12 schools through art teachers.
Despite the growing number of high-paying technical jobs, women make up only 18 percent of computer science undergraduates in the United States (down from 37% in 1984) and Hispanic and Black women combined represent less than 4%. By training K-12 teachers to lead coding lessons, Code/Art aims to bridge opportunity gaps and grow the tech pipelines in the five designated communities; thus strengthening local economies and lifting families up economically.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the PPG Foundation on this initiative to introduce coding to thousands of students by providing training and curriculum to K-12 teachers in the five communities,” said Amy Austin Renshaw, CEO of Code/Art. “An early, fun and creative introduction to coding will get kids excited about computer science and on the path to expanding the technical talent pool in their communities.”
Past participant and elementary school art teacher, Susan Feliciano, noted, “The Code/Art workshop provided me with insights into the world of coding, once a mystery and quite intimidating. Now, with a few workshops under my belt, I feel more empowered and rather fascinated by the prospect of integrating coding in the art curricula.”
The PPG Foundation is a grantmaking organization that helps prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s opportunities. By partnering together, Code/Art and PPG will be able to give art teachers the confidence and support to bring coding into their classrooms and reach thousands of students who otherwise might not have the opportunity to learn coding.
PPG FOUNDATION
PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $13 million in 2020, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 30 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at communities.ppg.com.
PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $13.8 billion in 2020. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.
CODE/ART: INSPIRING GIRLS TO CODE
CodeArt is a non-profit with the mission to increase the number of girls studying computer science by delighting and inspiring them with the creative possibilities of computer programming. We strive to put young women – particularly young women from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups – on track for future tech careers by providing welcoming early coding programs that focus on art, creativity and social good. We also run Code/Art Fest, an annual tech conference and digital exhibition for school-aged girls and STEAM Educators.
If you have questions about the Code/Art’s professional development program or annual coding competition, please email info@code-art.com or visit code-art.com.
