CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Two public school systems have been collectively granted $2.4 million for the creation of the Virginia K-12 Computer Science Pipeline program.

Chesapeake Public Schools and Loudoun County Schools will conduct the two-year project. Its goal is to create a curriculum that fosters computer science and computational thinking skills in grades K-12.

In theory, Growth and Opportunity in Virginia (GO Virginia) hopes this program will form a stream of graduates who come with a strong foundation of STEM skills.

Although leaders hope to eventually see this in all grades K-12, the grant only funds grades six through 12 for this portion of the initiative.

“I am excited about the experiences this grant will provide for our students. As you are aware, there is a growing need for a well-developed workforce… (this) would not only provide a direct benefit to our students, but to our city, its citizens, and our community as well.”

Jared Cotton | Chesapeake Public Schools Superintendent

Students in lower grades will begin with “unplugged” activities such as block-based coding and text-based languages.

High school students will have higher-level courses and the opportunity to land an internship.

Each school division will host at least three STEM internship fairs to support these placements.

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