Get Involved
Computer science touches everyone. We all have a stake in the future of computer science education and ensuring that the country’s youth are exposed to skills and knowledge crucial to success in the 21st Century. The voices of parents, teachers, business and concerned advocates are needed to meet the policy and legislative goals of Computing in the Core. You can get involved by:
- Joining Computing in the Core as a supporter;
- Contacting your federal representatives in Washington, DC and asking them to co-sponsor the Computer Science Education Act; and,
- Writing to state or local education leaders about the importance of including engaging computer science courses in high school graduation requirements.
Below are tools that can help in your efforts.
Computing in the Core: Advocacy 101
This extensive toolkit provides instructions, resources, sample letters, talking points, scripts, and many other useful tips for contacting federal legislators. You can use this toolkit to discuss issues important to computer science education advocates, including the Computer Science Education Act.
Support the Computer Science Education Act
The Computer Science Education Act would help put computer science in the core of K-12 education. Computing in the Core strongly endorses the legislation, and we need your help to make it a priority within Congress. Contact your Member of Congress, and ask them to co-sponsor this important legislation. A sample letter can be found here and instructions on how to find and contact your Member of Congress can be found at the beginning of our Advocacy Toolkit.
Make Computer Science Count as Part of the Core Curriculum
In the United States, many important decisions governing K-12 education are made at the state and local levels—including those governing high school graduation requirements. Unfortunately only 10 states currently allow computer science to count as a core graduation credit. A sample letter that urges state and local education administrators to make rigorous high school computer science a core course for graduate requirements in math or science can be found here. You can also reference the findings of the ACM/CSTA “Running on Empty” report to look at the state of computer science education in your state and across the country.