Hopper-Dean Center of Excellence for K-12 CS Education
VISION |
To be a world-renowned leader for broadening participation in the K-12 computer science education (CSEd) research, practice, and policy ecosystem where intellectual, cultural, and linguistic diversity drive innovation, occupational attainment, and public awareness—bringing together interdisciplinary partnerships with educators, researchers, and leaders to advance discovery, knowledge, practice, and policy. | |
MISSION |
Advance K-12 CSEd discovery, knowledge, and practice with an emphasis on culturally- and linguistically responsive perspectives through building bridges, reimagining borders and frontiers, and enacting progress.
|
Grant Initiatives
-
“Paso del Norte Texas Computer Science Teaching Fellows;” National Science Foundation, $1,184,729; 2022-2028. Principal Investigators are Elsa Villa, Salamah Salamah, Sanga Kim, and Erika Mein. This grant recruits CS degree holders who receive a master’s degree in education and CS teacher certification over one year followed by teaching four years in a high-need school district.
-
“Building Capacity in Computer Science Education at The University of Texas at El Paso;” The U.S. Department of Education, $734,992; 2022-2025. Principal Investigators are Elsa Villa, Salamah Salamah, Joyce A. Cashman, Justice Walker, and Kristopher Yeager. This grant establishes a new degree program in the UTEP Department of Computer Science with a concentration in CS education; new courses will be developed, and graduates would receive CS teacher certification.
Team
Elsa Villa, Ph.D.Director |
Salamah Salamah, Ph.D.Co-Director |
Sanga Kim, Ph.D.Associate Co-Director of Research |
|||||
|
|
|
|||||
Justice Toshiba Walker, Ph.D.Faculty Fellow |
Katherine Mortimer, Ph.D.Faculty Fellow |
Monika Akbar, Ph.D.Faculty Fellow
|
|||||
|
|
|
Collaborators
Active K-12 Computer Science Grants
Sol Y Agua : A Research-Practice Partnership for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Computational Thinking Instruction in Middle SchoolsPrincipal Investigator: Katherine Mortimer, Ph.D. Co-Pi: Monika Akbar, Ph.D. NSF #1923599 |
|||
National Science Foundation, $299,161; 2019-2023; a collaborative grant with El Paso Independent School District. Principal investigators are Katherine Mortimer and Monika Akbar of UTEP and Scott Gray and Cynthia Ontiveros of EPISD. This project develops middle school lesson modules using the Sol y Agua game, developed at UTEP, to teach computational thinking using bilingual (translanguaging) and culturally responsive instructional strategies. |
|||
|
|||
|