Georgia Tech’s Rural Computer Science Initiative took center stage earlier this month at the inaugural Lifetime Learning Symposium hosted by the College of Lifetime Learning. A panel discussion showcased how a state-supported program is empowering high school teachers and students in rural school districts to bridge the gap between localized learning opportunities and community-based workforce development.

Moderator Lizanne DeStefano, executive director of the College’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), reflected on the meaningful exchange between panelists.

“We had tried to do outreach in rural districts before. I’ve been at Georgia Tech for 10 years, and ever since I arrived, we’ve been talking about upgrading our outreach to rural districts—but there are many barriers to that, such as distance, time, and resources,” she said. “This opportunity provided excellent access because it wasn’t just driving to the district for a day and having a booth and talking to kids about coming to Georgia Tech. It was really partnering with those districts around instructional issues.”

The panel featured Georgia state representative Matt Dubnik and Georgia Tech representatives Leigh McCook, STEM @GTRI; Bert Reeves, Institute Relations; Norman “Storm” Robinson III, CEISMC; and Rick Clark, Strategic Student Access.

The idea behind the initiative traces back to early 2022 when Dubnik and fellow legislator Todd Jones approached Georgia Tech with a bold idea: to expand access to computer science education in rural school districts through a strategic partnership, using technology and experiential learning.

As DeStefano explained during the panel, “It is very difficult to hire certified computer science teachers in rural districts. It's very hard to hire them across the state, but rural districts in particular are challenged, and so rural students have less access to high-quality computer science education than in other parts of the state.”

With funding from the state legislature, a collaborative effort between CEISMC and STEM@GTRI, the K-12 outreach arm of the Georgia Tech Research Institute, was born. The pilot program took place that summer with eight school districts and has grown to more than 45 school districts as of this fall.

A foundational feature of the program is the delivery of computer science modules, developed and taught by the CEISMC and GTRI teams, through a hybrid co-teaching model. Each module begins with a week of real-time, online instruction led by the teams in partnership with in-person teachers. The second week shifts to teacher-led, problem-based learning, allowing students to apply concepts through independent projects, with flexibility in pacing and project design to meet classroom needs.

“Our modules that we started with in our pilot phase are constantly changing. We’re getting feedback, advice, and ideas—and educators are asking for more. So, we started with four modules, and now we’re at ten,” said McCook, director of STEM@GTRI. “They’re coming to us and saying, ‘We want to do more in AI or cybersecurity.’”

That kind of teacher input has also shaped the broader goals of the initiative. A professional learning community has been set up to adapt to educators’ needs and foster collaboration across schools, with veteran teachers often serving as mentors for newer participants.

“The professional learning experiences are tailored to the districts and the teachers’ needs,” said Robinson, CEISMC’s associate director of school and community engagement. “We’re not just putting something on—we’re asking them, ‘Where do you see yourself? Where do you want to grow as an educator?’ and involving them in their own journey.”

For example, a new area of focus this year is applying computer science and artificial intelligence to agriculture, including farming. Nineteen school districts have been provided with FarmBots, which are open-source, automated farming systems that integrate coding, robotics, and data science, and can monitor variables such as soil moisture and temperature.

A FarmBot was recently installed in Georgia Tech’s community garden to serve as a hands-on testing site for designing classroom-ready learning experiences. Robinson is currently traveling to each school to ensure the FarmBots are properly installed as a curriculum for precision farming is being developed. Precision farming is a method that uses technology and data to enhance and improve agricultural practices.

Now in its fourth year, the Rural Computer Science Initiative is expanding and making strides, having reached more than 10,000 students in over 40 schools and garnering continued support from the state legislature.

“It was great to see such a powerful example of the Georgia legislature partnering with an institution of higher education in the service of rural communities,” DeStefano said. “Other states are interested in replicating our model.”

—Joëlle Walls, CEISMC Communications