There's No Equity in CS Education Without Connectivity

Allison Scott is the chief research officer at the Kapor Center. Julie Flapan is the director of the Computer Science Equity Project at UCLA Center X. They are co-directors of the Computer Science for California Coalition.

As 2020 comes to a close, the global pandemic has disrupted the ways students and families learn, work, and communicate; computer connectivity has become a critical lifeline for everyone. As online life becomes the new normal, it is crucial that all citizens — especially students — have access to both connectivity and computer science education.

Despite being home to the world's tech capital, 1.5 million students in California lack adequate connectivity, and 60% of these students are Black, Latinx, or Indigenous. Additionally, more than two in five students from low-income households have limited access to a computer or stable Internet connection.

This digital divide will have long-lasting effects on our students if we don't act with urgency.

From CalMatters
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