Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is a national, annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.
Xavier College Preparatory was one of the first schools in Arizona to require successful completion of a computer science coding class in order to graduate. Students take the course during their sophomore year.
Also, Xavier has the largest chapter of the National Computer Science Honor Society in the nation. And, all its members are young women.
AP® Computer Science teacher, Leon Tynes, Jr., said of the week-long event:
“We celebrated the restart of the Robotics Team and Club, the addition of project-based learning in our computer science courses, the introduction of the Unreal Engine in our curriculum, and the large number of AP® Computer Science Principles students developing mobile applications that make the world a better place. We are now incorporating robotics and physical computing in all of our introductory computer science courses.”
Computer Science — An Honored Tradition
It is appropriate that Xavier leads in computer science education. The school was started by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first person in the United States to obtain a Ph.D. in computer science was Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM). Xavier’s administration continues to be led by Sisters from the same BVM order.
Xavier’s computer science graduates have been accepted into prestigious computer science programs at Duke, MIT, and Princeton, and have worked for companies such as Microsoft, Pixar, and Intel.
