CBC receives Google grant to advance computer science teaching

Columbia Basin College will receive a $24,100 grant from tech giant Google to bolster computer science education efforts in high schools.

The collaborative effort between the college, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and other members of the Mid-Columbia STEM Education Collaboratory aims to have more Advanced Placement, or AP, computer science courses offered in the region. Currently only two Tri-City high schools offer AP computer science.

Up to 20 teachers will participate in professional development to teach the courses, which will include online learning but also classroom instruction. The college then will help launch AP courses in computer science principles in fall 2016, with the first completion exam for the course coming in May 2017.

This story was originally published May 14, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "CBC receives Google grant to advance computer science teaching."