Communications of the ACM
4-H and Google Expand Access to Free Computer Science Education
Google and 4-H are expanding their initial collaboration which established the 4-H CS Pathway across 23 states.
Credit: 4-H
The National 4-H Council has announced a new $6 million collaboration with Google to bring computer science education to underserved youth across the United States. The collaboration will expand the 4-H Computer Science Career Pathway to reach more than one million youth over the next three years, with a focus on rural youth and populations that have traditionally had limited access to CS education.
Google's support will build upon its prior investment of over $2 million in funding, to support training and resources which helped establish the 4-H CS Pathway that has reached over 325,000 youth since 2017. The collaboration combines the reach and educational expertise of 4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, and the power of Google's CS products, educational programs, and employee volunteers who have dedicated more than 1,000 hours to support 4-H youth as they explore CS. Together, National 4-H Council and Google are laying the groundwork for 4-H to bring computer science education—and the opportunities for upward economic mobility it provides—to the 6 million kids it serves each year.
"While talent is everywhere, opportunity is not," says Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "That's why it's so important to make sure young people everywhere have access to skill-building and mentorship opportunities that will inspire and empower them. This collaboration brings the opportunity to teach life-changing computer science skills to more young people across the country, giving them access to a productive and promising future."
Delivering free computer science education to underserved communities is part of 4-H's effort to provide equitable access to skills that help young people find success in life and career. Whether young people decide to take advantage of career opportunities in CS fields or put their talents to use in other disciplines, the skills they learn along the way—problem solving, digital fluency, creativity—will provide a strong foundation for success.
"We are excited to build on our work with 4-H with an additional $6 million grant to support computer science education in 4-H chapters across the country," says Sundar Pichai, Google CEO. "With this grant, we aim to help more young people develop their coding and leadership skills that will put them on a path for future success."
Google's support will bring new CS education programs to communities across Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Virginia. It will also bring substantial resources to expand programming in California, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and West Virginia. 4-H and Google's initial collaboration established the 4-H CS Pathway across 23 states.
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