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NBOE Hosts Girls Who Code Computer Science Showcase featuring 300 Students from 25 schools

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[Newark, New Jersey, December 12, 2019] On Thursday, December 12th beginning at 9:00AM, the Newark Board of Education in partnership with Girls Who Code and NJIT hosted our inaugural “Girls Who Code Computer Science Showcase” featuring over 300 sixth through tenth grade students from 25 of our schools.

The event occurring during Computer Science Education Week (December 9 - 15) featured a coding-based project competition among students participating in after-school clubs to present their “Impact Projects” to the competition’s judges. Each club’s Impact Project was developed this year to solve problems in their local community by applying coding knowledge and creative computational thinking to a range of product designs - from innovative phone apps to web sites and robotics.

The showcase included a recorded welcome message from First Lady Tammy Murphy and opening remarks from Superintendent of Schools Roger León, NJIT President Joel Bloom, and Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter. Additionally, distinguished representatives from Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, Panasonic, Prudential, NJIT, the Urban League of Essex County, William Paterson University, Montclair University, Kean University, Girls Who Code, and the Newark Board of Education served as volunteer judges to review the students’ projects.

The projects were evaluated based on a rubric reviewing three core components: 1) Design and Aesthetics, 2) Purpose, and 3) Social Impact & Project Differentiation. First, second, and third place were awarded to the following schools for each category as well as an overall first, second, and third place.

Overall

  1. Oliver Street School - "Sustain’able"
  2. Technology High School - “Global Warming”
  3. Sussex Avenue School - “Community Service for the Eldery”

Social Impact & Project Differentiation

  1. Thirteenth Avenue/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School - “Newark Teens”
  2. George Washington Carver/Bruce Street School - “We Code for Social Change”
  3. South Street School

Purpose

  1. Ridge Street School - Ridge Street School Clubs
  2. Lafayette Street School - “Stomp Out Bullying”
  3. First Avenue School - “Safe with the Knights”

Design & Aesthetics

  1. Rafael Hernandez Elementary School - “Save the Turtles”
  2. Louise A. Spencer School - “Explore Your Passion”
  3. Belmont Runyon Community School - “Changing The World Through Coding”

Interviews with CBS

Superintendent Leon, Office of Special Education, and staff and students from Bruce Street School for the Deaf and Technology High School visit Gaulludet University in Washington, D.C.

Pictured are Superintendent Roger León, Executive Director Carolyn Granato, Director Marilyn Mitchell, Principal Kyle Thomas, Audiologist Carol Ukstins, Interpreter Donna Holden, Speech Pathologist Joanne Odiase, Psychologist Linette Lynch, Teachers Sergio Zurita and Kayla Termyna, and Students Desmond Gabriel and Chad Thompson.

We want to thank and applaud Joseph Santini, Director of Instruction, the staff and students at Gaulludet University, Kendall Demonstration Elementary School, Model Secondary School for the Deaf, and the Laurent Clerc Center.

Special Thanks to Senator Cory Booker and his incredible staff, State Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, and the Office of Special Education.

Volunteers from KPMG come to Ann Street School

Students at Ann Street School were very excited about their new books. This event builds the love of literature, which in turn builds “readers” and we know that well-read students, speak well, write well, and expand their imaginations and creativity.