Computer Science Fundamentals

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"Honestly, it is BEYOND FUN seeing how this Code.org program can help kids from urban, suburban, and rural districts simultaneously!  It has been an amazing program to work with." -Code.org Regional Partner

Program Type

Curriculum/Instructional Materials
Teacher Development/Training
Hands on/Project-Based

Target Audience

All Students

Teachers/Educational Leaders

Location

Nationwide

Grades

Pre-K - 5
Grades 6 - 8
Grades 9 - 12

 Promising link

Program Impact

Around the world:

  • 18,809,549 students have started a CS Fundamentals course
  • 156,891 teachers have started teaching a CS Fundamentals course

In Michigan, since 2014:

  • A total of 294,905 students and 4,228 teachers have participated in CS Fundamentals
  • Around 138,605 girls have used Code.org’s CS Fundamentals curriculum
  • Around 85,865 students from underrepresented backgrounds have used Code.org’s CS Fundamentals curriculum

In Iowa, since 2014:

  • A total of 180,133 students and 3,712 teachers have participated in CS Fundamentals
  • Around 73,801 girls have used Code.org’s CS Fundamentals curriculum
  • Around 42,446 students from underrepresented backgrounds have used Code.org’s CS Fundamentals curriculum

In the 2017-18 school year:

  • 46% of CS Fundamentals students in Michigan were girls
  • 32% of CS Fundamentals students in Michigan were from underrepresented backgrounds
  • 48% of CS Fundamentals students in Iowa were girls
  • 31% of CS Fundamentals students in Iowa were from underrepresented backgrounds

Our elementary school curriculum can also help students succeed in other subjects as well; a recent research study by Outlier Research & Evaluation found that 3rd–5th-grade Code.org classrooms with resourceful teachers see higher scores on English, math, and science standardized tests.

 

Program Overview

CS Fundamentals is an elementary school curriculum that allows even the youngest students to explore the limitless world of computing. Designed to be fun and engaging, Code.org’s progression of CS Fundamentals courses blend online tutorials with “unplugged” classroom activities that require no computer. Students create computer programs that will help them learn to collaborate with others, develop problem-solving skills, and persist through difficult tasks. They will study programming concepts, computational thinking, digital citizenship, and develop interactive games or stories they can share.
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CS Fundamentals is an elementary school curriculum that allows even the youngest students to explore the limitless world of computing. Designed to be fun and engaging, Code.org’s progression of CS Fundamentals courses blend online tutorials with “unplugged” classroom activities that require no computer. Students create computer programs that will help them learn to collaborate with others, develop problem-solving skills, and persist through difficult tasks. They will study programming concepts, computational thinking, digital citizenship, and develop interactive games or stories they can share.

CS Fundamentals encompasses six grade-aligned courses. Each course begins with a grade-appropriate entry point and structured ramp-up of concepts, while also building on each other. The curriculum complements national standards in Math, English, Language Arts, and Science. Research has shown that our elementary school curriculum can help students succeed in these other subjects as well; a recent research study by Outlier Research & Evaluation found that 3rd–5th-grade Code.org classrooms with resourceful teachers see higher scores on English, math, and science standardized tests.

CS Fundamentals is available at no cost for anyone, anywhere to teach. Code.org also hosts no-cost, one-day Professional Learning workshops for K-5 educators interested in teaching computer science. For more information about our goals and approach to our courses, please see our curriculum values and our professional learning values

How To Get Involved

Visit the CS Fundamentals website to learn more about our curriculum, and find a professional development workshop in your area. You can also contact the Code.org Regional Partner in your area here.

To find other ways to promote computer science in your community, look here.

Funders and Partners

Find information about our donors here: https://code.org/about/donors

Find information about our major partners here: https://code.org/about/partners

Contacts

Mr. Charles Williams, Regional Manager, Midwest

charley@code.org

312-291-1681 

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Design Principles

The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy.

  • Accomplished
  • Developing
  • Undeveloped

Overarching Principles

  • Need

    Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.

  • Evaluation

    Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.

  • Sustainability

    Ensure work is sustainable.

  • Replication and Scalability

    Demonstrate replicability and scalability.

  • Partnerships

    Create high impact partnerships

  • Capacity

    Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.

STEM Principles

  • Challenging and Relevant Content

    Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience

  • STEM Practices

    Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.

  • Inspiration

    Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.

  • Under-Represented Groups

    Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.