CS Leaders Prize

Schools win $10,000 for expanding computer science access

As part of the 10th Hour of Code, we partnered with DonorsChoose to award $1 million to U.S. schools to help more students get access to computer science — that’s right, a MILLION dollars.

We wanted to recognize the schools who are working hard to recover from the challenges that our education system has gone through over the past two years and support their goals to establish or expand access to computer science not only for students in their own classrooms, but also in their districts.

Congratulations to the winners of the CS Leaders Prize!

102 winning schools have each been awarded the CS Leaders Prize of $10,000 to help establish computer science education for their students! These schools are all adding a new computer science course in the 2023–2024 school year. This will impact more than 55,000 students, many in underserved areas. The winning schools will also work within their districts to impact many more students in other schools in the coming years.

Congratulations to the winning schools!

• Tebughna School, AK
• Valley Pathways, AK
• Pell City High School, AL
• Paul W Bryant High School, AL
• Arkansas Arts Academy, AR
• Southside High School, AR
• Maynard High School, AR
• Gilbert High School, AZ
• Desert Foothills Middle School, AZ
• Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy, AZ
• New Horizons High School, CA
• La Merced Intermediate School, CA
• San Pasqual High School, CA
• DSST: Cole Middle School, CO
• Roncalli Stem Academy, CO
• Stafford Middle School, CT
• Newtown High School, CT
• Ron Brown College Preparatory HS, DC
• Polytech High School, DE
• W.T. Chipman, DE
• Hollins High School, FL
• Shelley S. Boone Middle School, FL
• Arlington Middle School, FL
• Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (CSKYWLA), GA
• Coosa Middle School, GA
• Kauai High School, HI
• Ilima Intermediate School, HI
• Kingsley-Pierson School, IA
• Dike-New Hartford High School, IA
• Oakley Jr./Sr. High School, ID
• West Minico Middle School, ID
• Marissa CUSD #40, IL
• Galva Jr/Sr High School, IL
• Calumet New Tech High School, IN
• Martinsville High School, IN
• Osawatomie High School, KS
• Kansas School for the Deaf, KS
• Harlan High School, KY
• Eminence High School, KY
• South Beauregard High School, LA
• New Orleans Charger Science & Mathematics High School, LA
• Dartmouth High School, MA
• Leominster Public Schools, MA
• Claremont School, MD
• Maree G Farring EMS #203, MD
• Searsport District Middle/High School, ME
• Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology, ME
• Ithaca Jr./Sr. High School, MI
• Southfield Arts and Technology HS, MI
• Melvindale High School, MI
• Kasson-Mantorville High School, MN
• Hennepin Schools, MN
• Clark County R-1 High School, MO
• Orchard Farm Middle School, MO
• Madison S Palmer High School, MS
• Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind, MT
• Washington High School, NC
• Piedmont Middle, NC
• Minto Public School, ND
• Mt Pleasant School District #4, ND
• McCool Junction Junior High School and McCool Junction High School, NE
• Norris Middle School, NE
• Pinkerton Academy, NH
• Newton High School, NJ
• College Achieve Paterson Middle School, NJ
• Academy for Technology and the Classics, NM
• Mountain View Middle School, NM
• Carlin Combined School, NV
• Sierra Vista HS, NV
• Jim Bridger Middle School, NV
• 12X251 — Explorations Academy High School, NY
• Evergreen Middle School for Urban Exploration, NY
• Genoa Area Local Schools, OH
• Springfield Junior High and High School, OH
• Lexington High School, OK
• Mayfield Middle School, OK
• Glendale Community Charter School, OR
• Arts and Technology Academy, OR
• High School of the Future, PA
• The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, PA
• Cranston High School East, RI
• Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School, RI
• E-Cubed Academy, RI
• Longleaf Middle, SC
• Edgemont School District, SD
• Oliver Springs High School, TN
• Journey Coleman School, TN
• Copperas Cove Junior High School, TX
• Harmony School of Excellence Dallas, TX
• Whitehorse High School, UT
• City Academy, UT
• Salem High School, VA
• Crittenden Middle School, VA
• John Sager Middle School, WA
• Charles Francis Adams High School, WA
• Mt. Adams Middle School, WA
• Audubon Technology and Communication Center, WI
• Dodgeville High School, WI
• Huntington High School, WV
• Hurricane Middle School, WV
• Wind River High School, WY
• Sheridan Junior High School, WY

Schools eligible for the prize committed to:

• Add a new Computer Science Principles, Computer Science A, or Computer Science Discoveries course using Code.org to your course schedule.
• Describe how you plan to continue expanding access to CS in your school and/or district.
• Provide a short statement of support from district leadership for expanding CS opportunities as a district priority.
• Organize a school-wide Hour of Code or other event/assembly for CSEdWeek to inspire students to explore CS and to encourage diverse participation by historically underrepresented groups.

In addition to the $10,000 awarded to the school to fund a project(s) of the school's creation through DonorsChoose, the implementing teacher(s) in each winning school will receive a no-cost scholarship to attend Code.org's Professional Learning Program.

See terms and conditions.

Submissions were accepted until November 21, 2022

FAQ

Who was eligible to win?

Any public middle or high school in the U.S. was eligible to apply if they made the commitments below. We especially encouraged schools in low-income underserved communities to participate, to help advance diversity and equity in computer science. To be eligible a school was required to commit to:

• Add a new Computer Science Principles, Computer Science A, or Computer Science Discoveries course using Code.org to your course schedule.
• Describe how you plan to continue expanding access to CS in your school and/or district.
• Provide a short statement of support from district leadership for expanding of CS opportunities as a district priority.
• Organize a school-wide Hour of Code or other event/assembly for CSEdWeek to inspire students to explore CS and to encourage diverse participation by historically underrepresented groups.

Why was this only available to public schools?

We love teachers in public and private schools alike, but for this opportunity it came down to logistics. We partnered with DonorsChoose to administer classroom funding prizes, which is currently exclusively focused on serving public, U.S. PreK-12 schools. See full DonorsChoose school eligibility here.

When was the deadline to apply?

Submissions were due by 11:59pm EST on Monday, November 21st, 2022.

Were non-US schools able to apply?

No. Unfortunately, we were not able to accept submissions from non-US schools at this time.

How did Code.org select who receives an award?

Award recipients were selected by Code.org, exercising its sole and final discretion, based on a number of factors: including whether they meet all of the conditions for entry, student demographics (we prioritized schools with 40% or more of students who qualify for free or reduced meal and/or schools with 40% or more of students who identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American or Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or multiracial), the school's plan for the Hour of Code or other CSEdWeek event, and the school's plan for expanding access to CS for students beyond the course addition.

When were winning schools notified?

Schools were notified on November 30, 2022.

Were schools that already offered CS Discoveries, CS Principles, or Computer Science A eligible to apply?

Schools were able to apply as long as the course they were committing to establish was a new course on the school’s schedule. For example, if a school were already offering CS Principles, but committing to a new Computer Science A course, that school was eligible to apply.

Are there any restrictions to how winning schools use the DonorsChoose gift code?

View project eligibility requirements on DonorsChoose.