The Onramp Program, a joint project of several Boise State departments, community partners and Apple, teaches in-demand coding skills to K-12 teachers. Those teachers then can share the knowledge with their students in schools across the Treasure Valley. Onramp targets schools where at least 60 percent of students receive free or reduced lunch. Boise State’s partners include the College of Western Idaho (CWI) and the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. Students at CWI have also learned coding through Onramp.
“We’ve come a long way in a short time,” said Mark Woychick, director of programs in the College of Innovation and Design, who oversees the program.
Since its 2019 launch, 829 students have engaged in coding experiences. Thirty-seven percent of those students were female, 42 percent were members of refugee communities. Ten Onramp educators in four districts, plus two educators at CWI, worked with students.
Educators earned 117 development credits, and the College of Western Idaho designed and launched two coding courses with support from the program. The Idaho Digital Learning Academy is planning a course for fall 2020.
“We are planning the summer academy for our year two cohort now, which will include educators in several new districts as well as device labs and coding experiences in four libraries,” said Woychick.
For more information about the Onramp program: https://www.boisestate.edu/cid/onramp-program/