UT Tyler Charter School Recognized for Promoting Computer Science Education Among Women
TYLER (June 22, 2023) – The University of Texas at Tyler University Academy Longview campus has made the inaugural Texas Accelerating Women’s Success and Mastery in Computer Science Honor Roll.
To be considered an inaugural AWSM in CS Honor Roll School, females must make up at least 50% of the high school computer science course enrollment for the 2021-22 school year. UA-Longview is one of less than 100 secondary schools in Texas to earn this achievement.
“We are honored to receive an award that focuses on fostering female participation in computer science,” said Dr. Jo Ann Simmons, UA superintendent. “Our environment provides students at a young age with the opportunities to be innovative and problem solvers. Students are engaged in STEM activities on a daily basis, while participating in learning centered around real-world
applications. This environment paired with high-performing teachers allows students to develop a love for learning while continuing to grow.”
The inaugural AWSM in CS Honor Roll was announced last week at the annual WeTeach_CS Summit held in Houston. AWSM is part of UT Austin’s Expanding Pathways in Computing, or EPIC, program.
“I want to extend my congratulations and recognition to UT Tyler University Academy-Longview for their exceptional work in this area,” said Dr. Joy Schwartz, UT Austin CS education specialist and EPIC program representative. “The school’s efforts are making a real difference in the lives of female students, and I hope that other institutions will follow their lead in promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM.”
The WeTeach_CS Summit is the premier professional development event for K-12 computing in Texas and includes numerous workshops, panels and nationally recognized guest speakers who educate, empower and inspire attendees to advance the goal of equitable CS education for all students.
The EPIC program at UT Austin is dedicated to broadening participation in K-12 computing, particularly for young women, who make up only about 27% of the students enrolled in high school computer science courses in Texas. For additional information, visit
tacc.utexas.edu/education/educators/.
The UT Tyler University Academy is a K-12 public university charter school with campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine. UT Tyler UA offers STEM curriculum in a hands-on learning environment. The district currently serves about 835 students. For more information, visit uttua.org/.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.
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