Dive Brief:

• Code.org got an infusion of cash in its quest to diversify computer science education this week as Facebook pledged $15 million over five years.
• EdSurge reports Code.org plans to use the money to train computer science teachers for urban schools and expand access to computer science classes across the country.
• By training more teachers to teach in urban districts, Code.org founder Hadi Partovi expects to diversify the pipeline of students interested in computer science, which can in turn increase diversity in the field.

Dive Insight:

More than 260.2 million students have tried the Hour of Code, according to the code.org website, and 11.4 million students are enrolled in intro computer science courses developed by the organization and taught by nearly 350 thousand teachers. The nonprofit’s teacher prep programs have trained 35 thousand new computer science teachers, helping expand access in schools. But according to its data, only one in four schools actually teach computer programming. And in 19 states, computer science doesn’t even count toward graduation.

A growing number of college students are enrolling in computer science courses and declaring this major, forcing school across the country to expand their existing programs to meet demand. K-12 schools can better prepare students for college and future careers if they incorporate computer science into their curricula, introducing students to the concepts while the stakes are still relatively low.