We are happy to announce that the National Science Foundation just awarded a new grant to support an equity-focused peer mentoring program in our chapter.
CSTA New Jersey is partnering with CSTA, WestEd, CSTA Wisconsin Dairyland, and the CSTA Black Affinity Group to scale the MENTORS in CS program to our three communities. The program provides ongoing, rigorous 1:1 support to novice high school CS teachers through a structured, one-year mentoring program. Mentees will meet with mentors (experienced CS teachers) virtually for about one hour twice per month throughout the school year. Goals of these meetings are to plan for and reflect on lessons, address challenges, build knowledge and skills, and monitor progress towards goals. Through individualized support through 1:1 mentorship, we expect participants will demonstrate increased confidence, pedagogical content knowledge, and use of equitable and inclusive teaching practices.
Kathy and Kevin are the two leads for our chapter. This year, they will not only plan as part of the project team but also mentor a local teacher in order to better understand the program and structures and think about how to adapt them to meet our chapters' needs. We will roll out the program over the next two years, expecting to support about 8 mentors and 8 mentees during the 2024-25 school year and 12 mentors and 12 mentees in the 2025-26 school year. We're very excited!
Read about CS Mentors Program