By Ally Snell, AmeriCorps VISTA

(Photo: Google CS First)

Today, two AmeriCorps VISTA members serving with the Google Code Corps program attended the White House Summit on Computer Science (CS) for All.  The White House’s CS for All Summit celebrated progress and announced new commitments towards President Obama’s bold initiative to empower a generation of American students with the computer science skills they need to thrive in a digital economy. CS for All builds on efforts already being led by parents, teachers, school districts, states, and private sector leaders from across the country.

Google, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Google Code Corps program will connect with more than 5,500 Boys & Girls Club kids and teens over the next year as part of the organization’s partnership. In support of the President’s CS for All initiative, the Google Code Corps program aims to inspire and train the next generation of computer scientists with the help and support of AmeriCorps VISTA members. 

Robert Petrowsky, and Morgan Staton attended the CS for All Summit to represent the incredible impact they have made at the Dorchester, Mass. and Wake County, N.C. Boys and Girls Clubs, respectively. 

Computer Science for All is the President’s bold new initiative to empower all American students from kindergarten through high school to learn computer science and be equipped with the computational thinking skills they need to be creators in the digital economy, not just consumers, and to be active citizens in our technology-driven world.
-White House Blog

Robert Petrowsky, AmeriCorps VISTA member

Robert Petrowsky is serving a second year with the Boys & Girls Clubs Code Corps Project. He has a strong National Service background, previously completing a year of service with City Year and a term of service in AmeriCorps NCCC at the Sacramento Campus. During his first year, serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the Boys & Girls Club, Robert reached out to his fellow City Year AmeriCorps Alumni to teach CS First and established a strong partnership with Boston Cares who has provided volunteers for the clubs CS First classes. He excels at creating curriculum for the club.

Morgan Staton, AmeriCorps VISTA member

Morgan Staton began her first year of service with AmeriCorps VISTA in June 2016 with the Boys & Girls Clubs Code Corps. She has a degree in Industrial Engineering. Even though she’s just starting her service, she has already created partnerships with 4 the World, Girls Engineering Change, the Beauty and Joy of Coding, Black Girls Code in the Wake County area, and MSEN @ NCSU (Math Science Education Network . 

Left to Right: Max Finberg, Director of AmeriCorps VISTA; Elaina Ouimet, Director of STEM & Educational Foundations for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America; Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service; Morgan Staton, AmeriCorps VISTA member; Robert Petrowsky, AmeriCorps VISTA member 

The Google Code Corps program builds on additional commitments from CNCS that underscore the President’s belief that the Nation’s students have the potential to help make our country, and our world, a better place. In April, CNCS announced the expansion of the STEM AmeriCorps program, which connects young students with mentoring opportunities in STEM-related fields. CNCS committed up to $17 Million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to support Computer Science Teachers AmeriCorps program, which will help train thousands of teachers in computer science.

AmeriCorps VISTA members like Morgan and Robert work tirelessly to equip the next generation of digital leaders and entrepreneurs with the core knowledge, skills, and inspiration they need to be successful. We are so proud to have them represent AmeriCorps VISTA and the investments CNCS has made to support CS for All at the White House. You can view the event via livestream here at 1pm EDT, Sept 14.

For more information on the Corporation for National and Community Service, go to www.nationalservice.gov.

For more information on AmeriCorps VISTA opportunities throughout the country, go to www.AmeriCorps.gov/VISTA.