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There's No Equity in CS Education Without Connectivity


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Allison Scott is the chief research officer at the Kapor Center. Julie Flapan is the director of the Computer Science Equity Project at UCLA Center X. They are co-directors of the Computer Science for California Coalition.

As 2020 comes to a close, the global pandemic has disrupted the ways students and families learn, work, and communicate; computer connectivity has become a critical lifeline for everyone. As online life becomes the new normal, it is crucial that all citizens — especially students — have access to both connectivity and computer science education.

Despite being home to the world's tech capital, 1.5 million students in California lack adequate connectivity, and 60% of these students are Black, Latinx, or Indigenous. Additionally, more than two in five students from low-income households have limited access to a computer or stable Internet connection.

This digital divide will have long-lasting effects on our students if we don't act with urgency.

From CalMatters
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