Youth IT Social Innovation Fund Nicole Barden

Achievement Gap 2009 NAEP scores increase over 1990 but still a gap (Hispanic-White) Mathematics th grade: GAP 21 points; 8 th grade: GAP 26 points Reading th grade: GAP 25 points; 8 th grade: GAP 24 points NAEP scores higher than any other period and a narrower gap (Black-White) Mathematics th grade: GAP 23 points; 8 th grade: GAP 26 points Reading th grade: GAP 26 points: 8 th grade: GAP 21 points

Race/Ethnicity and Income ,122 schools % students were eligible for free or reduced lunch Lower outcomes, NAEP scores section1a.asp

Race/Ethnicity and Income High Poverty Elem. Schools 14% White 34% Black 46% Hispanic 4% Asian/Pacific Islander 2% American Indian/Alaska Native High Poverty Sec. Schools (same) Low Poverty Elem. Schools 75% White 6% Black 11% Hispanic 7% Asian/Pacific Islander 1% American Indian/Alaska Native Low Poverty Sec. Schools (same)

The Digital Divide

POCs and low-income students not in computer science fields 2,000 Community Technology Centers (CTCs), introductory “High Tech Programmers in Low-Income Communities: Creating a Computer Culture in a Community Technology Center,” Kafai, Peppler, Chiu, 2007

Youth IT Social Innovation Fund Technology and Social Change After-school program, 12 weeks, High Poverty High School Three IT tools Phase 1: Survey Monkey, 2 weeks Phase 2: Google Maps, 3 weeks Phase 3: Building a Website, 3 weeks Phase 4: Final Project, 4 weeks, Scholarship Non-IT skills Local government, non-profits, Phase 4

Evaluation Desired Outcomes Greater sense of agency More computer literacy Increased problem solving skills Measured with a pre- and post-survey/test Qualitative assessments: weekly journals Completion rates, attendance

Evaluation All interested students will be placed in a lotto system 25 spaces Track those who are in the program and those who are not Attendance, Standardized tests, future fields This is not the primary data we care about, replication/funding purposes

Limitations Excludes people with after-school commitments Not perfect experiment

The Future Better IT knowledge and involvement NAEP Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment 2014 More engaged students/citizens