Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education #ARKidsCanCode / #RISEArkansas Announcement for Computer Science Education Week 2021

Memo Information

Memo Number
COM-22-083
Memo Date
12/6/2021
Memo Type
Informational
Unit
Central Administration
Regulatory Authority
Response Required
NO
Attention
Federal Programs; Superintendents; Assistant Superintendent; Principals; Technology Coordinators; Test Coordinators; General Business Managers; Teachers; Gifted & Talented Coordinators; Curriculum Coordinators; Bookkeepers; School Counselors; Techstart Coordinators or Contact Name; Equity Coordinators (Disability/Race/Gender/National Origin); Child Nutrition Directors/Managers; Data Stewards (SIS; eSchool; eFinance; TRIAND); District Coordinators (ALE; Homeless; ESOL; SDFS & Foster); Parent Involvement Coordinators/Facilitators; CTE Coordinator (COOPs and regular school districts); Facilities / Maintenance Director

Primary Contact Information

Secondary Contact/s Information

Memo Text

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Office of Computer Science is pleased to announce the continuation of its cross initiative program supporting both the Arkansas Computer Science (#ARKidsCanCode) and Arkansas Reading Initiatives (#RISEArkansas). Over the previous four years of this program, approximately 900 K-8 public school libraries received coding devices and more than 8,000 coding-related books. For 2021, additional computer science and computing related books will be distributed to public school libraries around the state, and for the first time Arkansas public high school libraries will receive books and public library systems within the state will have access to copies of the books. 


“The Arkansas State Library is thrilled to partner with ADE's Office of Computer Science for Computer Science Education Week,” stated Jennifer Chilcoat, Director of the Arkansas State Library system. “Bringing these titles into our public libraries, as well as in the libraries of local schools, drives home the importance of computer science education in Arkansas, and allows our students to access these titles wherever they are. Public libraries have long been advocates of computer science and other tech-based learning, as evidenced by Teen Tech Week, Maker Spaces, and Coding Camps that take place around the state, so ASL is excited to support these efforts to foster a love of computer science among Arkansas' young learners.”


  • Public school libraries that serve students in any combination of grades K-5 will receive a copy of The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (Amazing Scientists, 3), Secret Coders: Secrets & Sequences (Secret Coders, 3), and Elon Musk: A Kid's Book About Inventions (Mini Movers and Shakers). 

  • Public school libraries that serve students in any combination of grades 5-8 will receive a copy of Secret Coders: Secrets & Sequences (Secret Coders, 3) and Elon Musk and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Young Readers' Edition.

  • Public school libraries that serve students in any combination of grades 9-12 will receive a copy of Overnight Code: The Life of Raye Montague, the Woman Who Revolutionized Naval Engineering, Elon Musk and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Young Readers' Edition, and Warcross by Marie Lu.

  • The 60 public library system headquarters will each receive three copies of all books to share with their community libraries within the system.


Books will be mailed directly to public school libraries and public library system headquarters over the next few weeks.

First Lady Susan Hutchinson, who selected the two books about Dr. Raye Montague, stated, “Raye overcame every obstacle to realize her dream which made a path for us all to excel in computer science.” The First Lady selected these books to ensure that Dr. Montague’s story was available for all Arkansas students to know and receive inspiration. 


The Arkansas State Library chose Overnight Code, in addition to 20 other titles, as one of their "Arkansas Gems" for 2021. More information about the Arkansas Gems program can be found at https://www.library.arkansas.gov/programs/arkansas-center-for-the-book/arkansas-gems/ 

This is Computer Science Education Week. Arkansas is releasing a new Computer Science related announcement and/or commitment each day of this week. For a full listing of the announcements as they are made, please visit the ADE Computer Science Website at: https://csforar.info/CompSciEdWeek

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