Governor allots $500,000 to augment K-8 computer science instruction in state

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday used this week’s observance of Computer Science Education Week to announce that he has allocated $500,000 in state funds for computer science education lessons in elementary and middle schools.

Hutchinson, who has made computer science education in all grades a top priority of his administration, announced the initiative via video to a Code. org Computer Science Education Week event in San Mateo, Calif.

The $500,000 in state funding will provide stipends of up to $2,000 to elementary and middle school computer science teachers who undertake training on higher level computer science concepts and on how to assist other teachers with embedding Arkansas’ computer science standards into all academic subject areas.

“This new K-8 stipend reinforces our commitment to provide the best education, starting with the early years,” Hutchinson said.

To be eligible for the stipend, computer science lead teachers must be licensed educators within an Arkansas public elementary or middle school, attend a five-day training session provided at no cost by the Arkansas Department of Education’s Office of Computer Science, obtain a computer science endorsement on their Arkansas educator’s license and provide a requisite number of both one-on-one support and school-wide professional development hours.