CodeVA is calling for Southern Virginia teachers to participate in new computer science program as part of the Hub.
Pictured: Instructors and students at the Girls Who Code Club that TechSpark helped start at Halifax County Public Schools. The new CSTA chapter will help start new opportunities like this.
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. – Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) and Microsoft Corp. are announcing that CodeVA is the first SOVA Innovation Hub partner. Through the partnership, CodeVA, a Richmond, Va.-based nonprofit, will create a new Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) chapter to provide computer science skills and training to K-12 teachers throughout Southern Virginia.
CodeVA is the first of several nonprofit organizations that will have a presence at the SOVA Innovation Hub, a joint venture between MBC and Microsoft in South Boston, Va., to offer digital skills training, co-working space, and a connecting point for regional partnerships. Microsoft, through its TechSpark Initiative, will use the space to encourage innovation and spur economic opportunities and job creation in the region.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Virginia is among the top four states with the most computer science jobs. This partnership will increase access to computer science education and training and the opportunity it provides for students and teachers in Southern Virginia. The CSTA chapter will be led by local educators with support from CodeVA staff based in Richmond and at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research in Danville, Va.
“We are thrilled to welcome CodeVA as the first partner at the SOVA Innovation Hub,” said Tad Deriso, President and CEO of Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation. “The role that CodeVA will play in granting access to computer science resources will be invaluable to teachers and students in Southern Virginia.”
“CodeVA’s mission to bring computer science to every child in Virginia makes it a great fit for the SOVA Innovation Hub,” said Jeremy Satterfield, Manager of Microsoft TechSpark Virginia. “Partners like CodeVA will help Microsoft TechSpark and MBC realize our ambition that the Hub will serve as a centralized location to encourage innovation, spur economic opportunity, and offer digital skills education and workforce training.”
“CodeVA is excited to be the first partner at the SOVA Innovation Hub,” said Chris Dovi, CodeVA Executive Director. “Our mission to bring quality computer science education to all Virginia students only happens with the support of partners like Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation and Microsoft. Having the Hub is essential to our efforts in Southern Virginia, as a place to build teaching communities through no-cost teacher training and through the launch and support of a vibrant CSTA SOVA chapter. We look forward to finding many creative uses for the SOVA Innovation Hub that benefit teachers, parents, students and the entire community.”
This CodeVA partnership has created a Southern Virginia-based chapter of the CSTA to provide local teachers an opportunity to learn computer science education best practices, professional development, and other resources. Southern Virginia educators can sign up this month for a free membership with CSTA.
“We are excited about the opportunities that CSTA will bring to teachers in Southern Virginia,” said Lori Meadows, Halifax County High School geometry teacher and president of the new CSTA Southern Virginia chapter. “Computer science is becoming integrated into every subject, and it will be very beneficial to have resources available for our K-12 teachers as they navigate how to teach CS skills in their classrooms.”
“IALR is proud to strengthen its current partnership with CodeVA, enhancing professional development opportunities for teachers to include the newly formed CSTA Chapter,” said Dr. Julie Brown, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research’s (IALR) Director of Advanced Learning. “As Virginia’s teachers implement new computer science standards, the SOVA Innovation Hub will expand access to private-sector expertise and high-quality training.”
Learn more about the new CSTA chapter, upcoming kickoff events, and free membership at www.sovainnovationhub.com/csta.
About Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation
Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) is a Virginia-based leader in creating unique public-private partnerships. MBC built and operates over 1,900 route miles of fiber to provide affordable, open access infrastructure and carrier-class broadband connectivity to drive economic growth. MBC’s mission is to promote economic development by bridging the digital divide, reinvesting in Southern Virginia communities, and reducing the burden of government.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.