Partnership with Code.org
Chelmsford Public Schools teams up with Code.org to launch a comprehensive expansion of coding in Grades K-12. The Code.org curriculum is used at various times in all grade levels with a particular focus each December as we join the worldwide initiative known as “Hour of Code” which introduces Chelmsford students to coding as an enjoyable, educational activity to raise student awareness of programming which is available to all ages.
The partnership provides new opportunities for professional development and training for Chelmsford teachers, in addition to creating a sustainable program via a community of support for the teachers. Hadi Partovi, the founder of Code.org personally reviewed every application and chose Chelmsford as one of the top 10% to participate in this program. In addition, Code.org is donating the teacher training and materials.
Dr. Marilyn Sweeney coordinates the technology curriculum for the Chelmsford Public Schools and is working with Code.org to expand student-coding skills and computer science education.
The goal of the Chelmsford Public Schools is to support educational innovation and provide 21st-century skills that empower students to become successful adults. Chelmsford offers computer programming instruction in Grades 1-12, which includes several courses in computer programming and computer science at the high school.
Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding computer science education by making it available in more schools. Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to have access to computer science education. Code.org believes computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry, and algebra. More information about Code.org is available on their website at http://code.org.