Matt Bauer, senior lecturer of computer science and director of undergraduate academic advising, is collaborating with Code.org to write the curriculum for a new high school Advanced Placement Computing Principles class. Additionally, he is working with College Board, the National Science Foundation, and high school and college computer science teachers nationwide to design the objectives for the class, which is set to officially launch in fall 2016.

Code.org is a non-profit that is dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. The company’s driving force is the belief that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. The new AP Computing Principles class will help Code.org work toward that goal.

According to Bauer, “IIT CS also supports the expansion of participation in computer science by more women and underrepresented minorities. This is a great opportunity to lend our expertise in this area while aligning with this most important agenda.”

More than 100 teachers nationwide have committed to teaching the class. Of this group, 25 are from Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Half of the CPS students who take the class will register for dual enrollment at Illinois Institute of Technology, and half at Loyola University Chicago, based on which high school they attend. After completing the yearlong class in the 2015-2016 school year, they will then take an exam which will determine if they will receive college credit for the Illinois Tech computer science course CS110, or the equivalent at Loyola.