FVHS receives AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award

The Faculty Board awarded Fountain Valley Large Faculty with the Woman Diversity Award in January for delivering extensive accessibility to State-of-the-art Placement Laptop Science Concepts. FVHS Principal Paul Lopez obtained the letter that notified him of the award in March. FVHS attained this award “for expanding youthful women’s entry to AP Laptop Science Rules for the 2020-21 university year,” in accordance to the letter.

Nobody from FVHS used in buy to gain this award the College Board probably looked at the selection of students testing and who was enrolled in the study course. AP CSP trainer Ryan Pham described that his course consisted of 29 males but only seven women in the 2017-2018 school year. Even so, in both of those the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 university years, there were 38 males and 23 females in his course.

“I truly feel like it is a pretty even split in between girls and fellas in my class,” stated senior and AP Pc Science university student Muna Naseer.

The FVHS personal computer science program as a total expanded in the latest a long time in reaction to students’ requests for access to the system.

“We went from 1 to 3 AP CSP lessons,” Pham explained. “Cathy Lichodziejewski and Nancy Peterson were being instrumental in producing this academic STEM university/career class option at FVHS.”

The Higher education Board emphasizes the significance of giving younger women the prospect to find out AP Computer Science Ideas simply because this education builds a strong basis to guide them into a STEM-connected vocation in the foreseeable future.

“Research reveals that female learners who get AP pc science are more very likely to key in computer science in higher education compared to female students of identical history and academic preparation who did not get AP computer science programs,” the College or university Board wrote in the letter to Lopez.

In reality, Naseer ideas to main in personal computer science and hopes to become a physician with a qualifications in engineering. She expressed that as modern society improvements technologically, a track record in computer system science would be very advantageous to her career.

Her expertise in AP Laptop or computer Science has delivered her with an natural environment to expand from interactions with classmates.

“Going to laptop science each and every working day, we get to meet so a lot of new people today in the course, and we get to learn about various people’s histories — what they want to be carrying out for computer science,” said Naseer. “Being all-around them is just inspiring, and it assists stem creative imagination.”

This recognition honors a thrust to close the gender equity hole in the industry of laptop or computer science, but it also reflects a broader objective to boost diversity at FVHS.

“As far as inclusion goes, we want all students to be equipped to access all of our AP courses…But I assume we need to have to be much more intentional about it even now. So we have to have to do a small a lot more outreach as far as acquiring girls in the area of STEM,” Lopez stated.

Lopez commented that FVHS could however perform on increasing variety in each individual other matter on campus, seeking to ensure accessibility for all pupils in all areas. Although the college now provides a excellent quantity of classes to students of a lot of backgrounds and identities, there will often be place to make a adjust.

“I sense like there is not some thing that should just be male or feminine — if a man or woman desires to do it, then they ought to be capable to do it. So looking at so quite a few women of all ages go into much more STEM-linked locations, when it is dominated by adult men is actually inspiring for the reason that it is some thing that isn’t truly found, and it conjures up far more people today to do so,” Naseer said.