The computer science program at Utopian Academy for the Arts has received a national accreditation from the Computer Science Teachers Association for meeting high standards in technology instruction. In addition, UAFA was recognized with an invitation to participate in a free field trip to see computer scientists in their element at the Kennedy Space Center.
The recent recognitions underscore the growing list of achievements of the UAFA Computer Science Department. Under the direction of computer science and coding instructor, Dr. Michael Rosemond, computer science instruction at the UAFA Charter School Network has advanced rapidly. Scholars learn a variety of professional skills, from coding to animation. Dr. Rosemond is working to expand class offerings in computer literacy, programming, and more arts across the network, which educates students from K-12.
UAFA’s national endorsement from the Computer Science Teachers Association was awarded after Dr. Rosemond’s high school computer science program successfully completed a detailed evaluation of its instructional practices and curriculum. The review examined whether computer classes at UAFA high school meet CTSA’s national standards for teaching lessons on computing systems, networks and the Internet, data analysis, algorithms and programing, and the impact of computing.
“All high school students at Utopian Academy are learning Python 3—a lot of other schools are not teaching computer science at that level,” Dr. Rosemond said. “Python is the highest level of computer science language offered that will be able to be understood by everybody in coding. It is used for developing websites, software, and data analysis. It is not the easiest language to learn. Most other schools teach parts of HTML or JavaScript. When our students master Python 3, we know that they will be able to graduate and compete at the top of their game.”
Dr. Rosemond’s students participate in coding and animation competitions against students of all ages locally, nationally, and internationally.
The CTSA endorsement gives UAFA High School a CTSA membership and access to a national tech education network that will benefit computer science education in UAFA’s lower schools. Classes across the network could utilize CTSA instructional materials on teaching lessons on tech security, data science, and improving diversity and inclusion in tech, among other topics. The endorsement also provides collaboration opportunities with a virtual community of computer science educators nationwide.
“We want kids who are progressing from elementary and middle school to high school to say, ‘I want to be one of the ‘best-of-the-best’ kids in computer science; I want to be a part of the CTSA program,’” Dr. Rosemond said. “We want this to become a pipeline for kids interested in computer science across the network.”
UAFA High School principal Kyle Kenan agrees. He said the CTSA endorsement of computer science instruction will help to create clear pathways into college and careers for students across the network.
I fully support Dr. Rosemond’s efforts to expand computer science learning opportunities for students,” Kenan said. “This accreditation will attract more students to lucrative jobs in tech.”
That career exposure starts now. Dr. Rosemond has partnered with Hype Girls, a nonprofit organization focused on exposing girls to computer science careers, to offer a free field trip UAFA Network girls to tour Kennedy Space Center. Students will shadow computer scientists in the Coding Department. Delta will fly UAFA students to Florida for the experience.
More than 40 UAFA girls ages 11 through 16 submitted 250-word personal essays explaining how the opportunity would benefit them. Selections will be made by a panel of judges at Kennedy Space Center. Students from several other schools in the Southeast have been invited to the coding tour.
“Students will get to see what the Kennedy Space Center is all about from the front office to the back office,” Dr. Rosemond said. “They will also learn a lot about the history of coding at Kennedy Space Center. It will be a great experience for our girls at Utopian Academy.”
Dr. Rosemond is also planning other career exploration events for UAFA computer science students. “We are in talks with the Hawks, Disney, and looking at coding opportunities at Clark Atlanta University,” he added.
