News Archives

  • UNM
  • >Home
  • >News
  • >2014
  • >December
  • >Four NM teachers honored at White House for contributions to computer science education by Santa Fe Institute

Four NM teachers honored at White House for contributions to computer science education By Santa Fe Institute

January 16, 2015

Four NM teachers honored at White House for contributions to computer science education
by Santa Fe Institute 

Four "New Mexico Computer Science for All" teachers who work with SFI’s Irene Lee attended a special ceremony at the White House on December 8, 2014 in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. The NM-CSforAll program is led by Lee and collaborators from the University of New Mexico. 

Teachers Melody Hagaman of Centennial High School, Las Cruces; Rowena Dolino of Miyamura High School, Gallup; Michael Steele of NexGen Academy, Albuquerque; and Elisa Cundiff of Las Cruces High School, Las Cruces are being recognized for teaching computer science and imparting lifelong skills to New Mexico students.

They were invited to attend a ceremony at the White House in Washington, DC, where the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced new partnerships to expand student access to computer science and coding. Lauren Curry of Las Cruces High School was also invited.

"NM-CSforAll teachers are extremely dedicated to making a fundamental change in the way computer science is taught in New Mexico and increasing the number and diversity of students prepared for the future," says Lee.

Computer Science Education Week, which runs December 8- 14, calls on teachers and organizers to celebrate computer science, and to empower learners with new computer science skills. Many people take hour-long tutorials in basic computer coding, as did 15 million participants in the 2013 Hour of Code. Computer science clubs around the globe hold special events in honor of Computer Science Education Week, and SFI’s Project GUTS is celebrating by hosting student roundtable presentations on December 12.

Read the National Science Foundation news release on Computer Science Education Week, and the White House event (December 8, 2014)

Watch President Obama's announcement of Computer Science Education Week (December 8, 2014)

Watch a short video about how Irene Lee and other members of the Computer Science Teachers Association celebrate Computer Science Education Week