Our partnership with TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools), a Microsoft initiative, is in its seventh year. Students in the program are given the opportunity to learn how to code, and participation has grown from seven students in the first year to 59 students this year. Last year, students were able to learn how to use BYOB (Build Your Own Blocks), and each student also learned at least one of the following languages: JavaScript, Java, Python, and Ruby. Students have been able to create great projects over the last few years, including websites (built for local businesses), games (the concept completely created by the student), and apps for Android devices.
TEALS has also given 40 students the opportunity to travel to Seattle, Washington, to visit tech giants like Microsoft, Facebook, and Google, where they talk to professional programmers, game makers, and others about what they need to do to be able to go into each career field.
The TEALS program helps prepare students to enter a job market where most jobs require computer proficiency. It also prepares students to pursue their individual interests while using coding to help them in their chosen profession through the creation of websites or apps.
Innovation Portfolios
