The STEAM Studio Model for Innovation: Building Robust Learning Ecologies and Pathways in Computer Science is a half-million dollar program awarded to South Fayette Township School District by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, under the 2018-2019 Governor’s PAsmart Expanding K-12 computer science and STEM Education Initiative and Matt’s Maker Space Foundation, is designed to expand access to high-quality computing education for all. The eight partnering districts served through this grant are a microcosm of the education systems in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, representing rural, urban, and suburban schools. The districts include: Carmichaels and Jefferson-Morgan in Greene County; Charleroi in Washington County; Brownsville Area School District in Fayette County; Beechwood Elementary, Manchester Academic Charter, Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5, and South Fayette Township school districts in Allegheny County. South Fayette leads this collaboration for the purpose of better understanding how to remove barriers and challenges for all schools in the Commonwealth.

Program components include: developing a PA statewide online education platform for teaching introductory CS/STEM education across grades K-8; co-creating introductory CS/STEM curricula, assessments, and professional development; and developing a cyclical feedback loop to support quality implementation. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Clemson University are evaluating ways to increase equitable participation in the computer science activities, particularly among girls and students of color by focusing on technology-driven collaborative problem-solving. Digital Promise researchers are focusing on gauging students’ and teachers’ conceptual understanding of key competencies in computer science. The grant operates from February 2019 to June 2020 directly impacting 4,399 students in the region with the potential for outreach to all educational learning agencies in the Commonwealth and beyond.