CGI has partnered with a local school in Belton, Texas to make sure young people with an interest in technology have access to the education and resources they need to develop and expand their talents.
When CGI team based in Belton learned there was a lack of access to technology-related courses at Belton area high schools, the team met to brainstorm how CGI could help high school students increase their technology know-how, with the ultimate goal of encouraging them to pursue computer science as a profession.
With a grant from CGI to help defray training costs and setup fees, Belton High School began offering a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering elective for students at the beginning of the 2015–2016 school year. PLTW is a non-profit organization that offers STEM curriculum that schools can easily add to their course offerings. Without any advertising, 140 Belton High School students signed up for the engineering track and are now focused on applying engineering, science, math and technology to solve complex, open-ended problems in a real-world context.
Program feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and, with an additional grant from CGI, Belton High School will launch the PLTW computer science curriculum later in 2016.
CGI recently received a community partner award from the school district for its efforts in promoting STEM technologies.
