CSteach: Engaging Latino/a Youth in Computer Science with Social Justice and Near Peers (Abstract Only)

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the US but are underrepresented in computer science. To increase the numbers of Latinos, we need learning environments that excite them about becoming a computer scientist starting in elementary school. This poster describes CSteach, an afterschool program that aims to move Latino/a students along the path to becoming a computer scientist by fostering capacities, identities, and relationships starting in 5th grade. It is the first known effort to integrate CS and social justice in elementary schools, and it builds off examples of "computing for the social good" in college (Goldweber et al., 2011). The poster includes a description of the curriculum, and research findings from over 200 5th graders and 13 high school "near peer" educators. It includes a list of tested strategies for how to introduce CS and social justice concepts in a developmentally appropriate way to 5th graders, and how to integrate those concepts to increase motivation and understanding. The poster also describes how to establish an effective "near peer" component in a K-12 CS program by selecting high school students who are from the community, excited about computers and want to teach, and also providing them with ongoing training and support. Screenshots of the students' Scratch projects show how they used CS to address a social justice issue at their school. And graphs provide a visual description of the pre-post survey data that were collected. This includes changes in students' knowledge of CS, attitudes toward CS, interest in pursuing CS, and their understanding of how computing can be used to address needs in their community.