In December 2018, AISES program officers hosted a workshop with close to thirty middle-school children from the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians reservation located in northern California. Funded by Motorola, teachers and children participated in a two-hour Computer Science (CS) coding workshop that is designed to introduce students to coding and robotics to spark children’s interest in computer science. At the workshop conclusion, computer science toolkits were left at the school to be used by teachers to further CS education with their students. Coding examples include program solving questions where the robots are coded to drive to Answer A, Answer B or Answer C. This type of interaction is highly motivating. Why CS? CS coding encourages children to:
- learn how coding works
- learn common coding language
- put their coding skills to the test
- use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to reach solutions
- team-build
- learn about the ways coding impacts our everyday lives and shapes the world
- build skills almost immediately
- go from passive participants in a digital arena to active designers using CS technology.
Teachers at Coyote Valley Education Department are now a part of a larger national cohort of educators who develop lessons, share curricula and learn about the ways the CS toolkits are being used in other indigenous communities. Currently there are 12 individuals in the national cohort. 
“Sphero BOLT was an instant hit with our kids and caught their attention. As a result, this gave parents and instructors numerous ideas that we can perform in our after-school program such as games, coding, mathematics and physics” stated TeMashio Anderson, Coyote Valley Education Director.
One of nine Indian rancherias/reservations in Mendocino County, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ legacy leaders and education professionals see the immense value that CS coding offers in a field that is the fastest growing in the job market. Delivering computer science education to American Indian youth is an entry point to STEM subjects and is one way to encourage students to consider computer science or engineering as career options.
Want to learn more about AISES programs and membership? Find out first by subscribing to receive email from AISES at www.aises.org.
