Computer Science

Our computer science program aims not just to teach students to use computers as tools for their schoolwork, but rather to give scholars the skills they need to design, create, solve problems, and express their ideas using computer technology.

I’d love to do programming. After college, if I were to get a job that is STEM-related, I wouldn’t even think of it as a job. It would just be something I love to do every day.

Jonny Galvez Class of 2021, Brooke High School

Teach Comp Sci

Are you a STEM teacher with a passion for coding, engineering, and problem solving? We are hiring high school computer science teachers for these high impact roles, offering salaries of $80,000+!

Apply

Brooke’s Computer Science for All program subverts the long-standing inequalities in STEM professions and computer science jobs specifically.

The need to diversify talent in the STEM fields is clear

  • Women filled 47 percent of all U.S. jobs in 2015 but held only 24 percent of STEM jobs. (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2017)
  • Across the US, Blacks and Hispanics are underrepresented across most STEM job clusters. (Pew Research Center, 2018)
  • In Massachusetts, women constitute only 24% of computer and mathematical workers in Massachusetts and, combined, Latinos and African Americans make up only 8%. (MA Technology Leadership Council, 2017)

We are preparing students to succeed in STEM

  • At Brooke, 89% of our students are Black or Latinx and approximately 50% are girls and young women.
  • When they graduate from our high school, 100% of Brooke scholars will have taken 3 years of rigorous computer-science courses, at least one of which is college-level.
  • Brooke is preparing our students to become the diverse and dynamic leaders we need for the future

Computer science is important college and career preparation

Brooke scholars begin coding in first grade and continue through high school.

Computer Science in grades K-8

In elementary and middle school, Brooke scholars receive computer science instruction for approximately 60 minutes per week, working with a variety of coding languages and platforms, such as Bee-Bots, Lego Mindstorms, Code.org, Pencil Code, App Inventor, Scratch Jr., and Scratch. At the K-7 level, we leverage lead classroom teachers to deliver computer science content. With professional development and ongoing support from our Computer Science Department Chair, Ivan Rudnicki, we've found that even teachers without a computer science background can be highly impactful with these platforms.

Curriculum resources

Computer Science at Brooke High

Brooke High School requires all students to take three full-year computer science courses, including an Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science course. In 12th grade, students have the option to take a fourth elective year. The high school curriculum covers programming, physical computing, robotics, and software development, with a strong emphasis on collaborative, project-based work. Brooke’s high school campus features four computer science classrooms and a makerspace equipped with a variety of computer-controlled fabrication tools to support instruction in computer programming, robotics, and engineering.

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