Panther Valley to use $35K grant on computer science curriculum

Panther Valley School District will expand its computer science curriculum thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

“We’re pushing the agenda of getting all kids involved in computer sciences,” said Janet Fisher, Panther Valley School District’s technology coordinator.

On Friday, it was announced that the district received a $35,000 grant from the state’s PAsmart Expanding Computer Science and STEM Education Initiative.

The grant is aimed at helping districts improve their course offerings related to computer science. Districts located in rural areas, or with low-income students, were given priority.

Panther Valley plans to use the grant for training so the district can add more computer science lessons. It will also help fund the purchase of equipment for computer labs in the junior-senior high school and intermediate school.

Panther Valley plans to send two intermediate school teachers and three JSHS teachers for training.

The training will be used to update the required computer classes which intermediate school students currently take, as well as STEM projects for high school students.

Someday, it could lead to required courses at the high school level.

“If we get them introduced from such a young age, it’s going to feed into the programs when they’re in 9-12th grade, so that they’ll want to move on to the next one,” Fisher said.

With the remaining funding, the district will purchase new equipment for the computer labs in the Intermediate School and Junior-Senior High School.

That will include 3D printing, and at the intermediate school, programmable devices like Micro Bit, Makey Makey and Raspberry Pi.

Fisher said that computer classes are in line with the careers which are available to graduating students right now. They also teach soft skills like dealing with failure and celebrating accomplishments.

“It’s inherently a great set of skills to have in the world. You’re not always going to succeed — when you do, you celebrate it,” she said.

Grants from the PAsmart program went to 163 school districts around the state this year, for a total of $5.7 million in funding.

Jim Thorpe Area School District also received one of the $35,000 grants.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley, who helped secure the funding, congratulated both districts.

“These grants will help our students be better prepared for the jobs of tomorrow as they enter the ever-changing workforce,” Heffley said.