The Georgia Department of Education is awarding grants to 34 school districts to help them build teacher capacity around computer science education.

Computer science has become a high-demand career across multiple industries, and includes skills all students need to learn. Thus far, the largest challenge for school districts in building this new discipline is building teaching capacity – there are currently 250 credentialed computer science teachers – and 1,000 middle and high schools – in Georgia.

This grant is designed to help mitigate that gap; it provides funding for teachers to participate in professional learning opportunities, including credential programs.

“It was an honor to work alongside Senators P. K. Martin and Jack Hill and others to get this grant created and funded,” Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan said. “Providing valuable training opportunities for new computer science teachers is a very important priority for our state and my office. In order to reach our goal of being the technology capital of the East Coast, we will need a strong coding workforce. Thanks to the great work of Superintendent Woods and his team, this work can take shape and continue to grow.”

“Computer science learning is essential for all students – not just those who will ultimately pursue STEM careers,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “As school districts make the shift to offering computer science as a K-12 discipline, one of the most immediate needs is teacher capacity. These grant funds allow districts to invest in the talented teachers already in their building and provide the training needed to develop a CS skillset.”  

Each of the 34 districts is receiving up to $25,000, for a total of $744,381 awarded. Priority was given to districts serving highly impoverished and/or rural communities.