Colleges Launch New Innovative Program

Over the summer, the College of Education and the College of Science and Engineering kicked off an innovative new specialty—with its first cohort—that speaks to inclusion in science and education.

The program, Equity in Computer Science Education, highlights SU’s place as a leader in education and equity and is the first specialty endorsement in elementary computer science in Washington state. The offering was made possible, in part, with funding from Amazon.

“Our innovative program is expanding access to computer science education by supporting early education teachers,” says Amit Shukla, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. “By focusing on early educational exposure, fostering supporting networks and broadening access, we’re making sure teachers are engaged in computational thinking with confidence and care.”

The program is designed to help kindergarten-through-8th grade teachers earn a computer science pedagogy credential and focus on teaching computer science in an equitable and inclusive way. It includes four courses as well as school visits. The first offering, which takes three quarters to complete, saw more than 20 participants—primarily teachers from Seattle and Marysville public schools.

“Our program is already making a tangible impact on diversifying the STEM pipeline,” Shukla says.

With the field of computer science growing and diversifying rapidly, the program will help develop and grow teachers to meet the demand by combining computer science and elementary and middle school instruction. It is being directed by Dr. Ruohan Liu of the College of Education, who is also the primary instructor.

“The elementary school level is not about preparing programmers,” Liu says. “The aim is to develop essential skills like problem solving, analytical thinking, creativity and computational thinking. We want to equip students with the skills to solve problems with technology.”

The first group of participants are expected to receive their endorsement in spring 2025. But the goal is larger, as Dr. Liu plans to create a system for the participants to maintain future connections to share feedback and experiences that will help shape the program going forward.

College of Education Professor Charisse Cown Pitre, PhD, who is also Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Justice Initiatives, says the participants in the initial program are “nothing short of awe-inspiring.” She added that one of the program advisory members said the participants will have “the power to ‘ignite dreams’—the dreams and imaginations of their students who are future inventors, creators, innovators and industry leaders.”