Digital Pioneer Academy has opened for this academic year in D.C. to prepare kids living in underserved areas of the city for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), which is one of the most in-demand fields in the world.
Computer science is a compulsory course for the students at the school, apart from other traditional subjects like math and reading.
“Our students and their families need college, but they also need real jobs — jobs that will help break the cycle of poverty that so many of our families experience,” said education veteran Mashea Ashton, the middle school founder, who began her career as a teacher at public Anne Beers Elementary School.
"Most children will never have the chance to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the digital economy." Find out what I think we can do to fix the digital #SkillsGap for our #students. #EdChat https://t.co/rvVvN79HEt pic.twitter.com/p8ojzlyBhi
— Mashea M Ashton (@Mashea) September 21, 2018
The STEM field is expected to add 1 million new jobs to the U.S. economy by 2022, according to the data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. The majority of STEM jobs pay more than the national average for all jobs.
By the year-end, Ashton said, the students of sixth-grade would be able to design their own websites and learn to create an app from a chosen robotics course.
“Really, we want to make sure our students not just consume the digital economy, but be a part of creating it,” she added.
Ashton noted that teaching STEM subject to 11 and 12-year-olds lays a strong foundation for future learning.
“By the time they get to high school, they can really make sure they can get into the most rigorous technical skills of computer science with a strong base,” she added.
Opening this year with only a 6th-grade class, the academy is planning to grow each year with a new grade level. Ashton said she wants to share best practices with other schools interested in offering similar courses.
“We’re working to make sure that more students, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, really have access to rigorous computer science courses as a required part of their curriculum,” she said.