Computer Science scholarship sparks student involvement

North Star High School (NSHS) was selected by Amazon’s Future Engineers Scholarship Program to be awarded with two fully-funded Computer Science (CS) courses through their partnership with Edhesive: AP CS Principles and Python computer programming. The program has paid for tuition costs for any student enrolled in either course.

Amazon recognizes the deficit of CS course availability in rural school districts across the country. NSHS students are being exposed to CS topics prior to enrolling in post-secondary degrees or pursuing other technical studies. As a side-effect of growing up in a rural-agricultural school district, most students have not had any significant exposure to computer programming.

A student who takes a CS course in high school is 8 times more likely to take one in college. A female student who takes a CS course in high school is 10 times more likely to take a CS course in college. The need for CS graduates is becoming more and more apparent as the growth for the computer science job market is projected at an upwards of 30%!

From Amazon’s generosity, many NSHS students have been provided with their first ever experiences in CS and computer programming. Students are being asked to use critical thinking skills as a tool for problem-solving within real-life contexts. This program has been instrumental in North Star School District’s commitment to STEAM curriculum expansion.