CARSON CITY, Nev. - Teachers at three Nevada schools were awarded for their commitment to expanding computer science at their schools. Tina Faye from Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, Amy White from Bridger Middle School in North Las Vegas and Brande Johnson and Karle Goodale from Carlin Combined School in Carlin were all named as CS Leaders by Code.org and each of the schools is receiving $10,000 to further computer science education and add a new computer science course for the 2023-2024 school year. Code.Org partnered with DonorsChoose to award teachers at one middle school and one high school in every U.S. State and Washington D.C.  but Nevada had so many excellent programs, teachers at three different schools were awarded the prize.

"Amazing teachers like these four are one of the reasons why the state of Nevada continues to lead the nation in computer science education," said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. "I'm proud of their hard work and dedication to furthering computer science in our schools. It's so important that students leave high school with the knowledge and experience to be successful in a technology-driven world."

• Tina Faye established the computer science honor society at Sierra Vista High School and multiple after-school Computer Science programs. Recently, Ms. Faye collaborated with the football coach to launch Game Changers, where computer science students teach the football team to code and the football team, in turn, teaches computer science students, football. The goal is to break stereotypes around athletics and computer science. 

• Amy White teaches introductory and advanced STEM classes, in addition to coaching the robotics team at Bridger Middle School. Ms. White loves to have her students use coding tools to create projects that solve real-world problems.

• Brande Johnson is the computer science teacher for 7^th-12^th grade students at Carlin Combined School, while Karle Goodale teaches K-6^th grade computer science at the school. The two teachers worked together to build a school-wide computer science program. The Carlin Combined school's collaborative efforts have ensured that all students receive computer science instruction and opportunities to enrich their knowledge with computer science projects. Enrollment in advanced computer science courses has climbed steadily because of the efforts.

In addition to the $10,000 awarded to the school through DonorsChoose, each of the winning teachers will receive a free scholarship to Code.org's Professional Learning Program.

Award recipients were selected by Code.org based on a number of factors: including whether they meet all of the conditions for entry, student demographics, the school's plan for the Hour of Code and other CSEdWeek events, and the school's plan for expanding access to computer science for students beyond the course addition. 

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The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada's 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators. Learn more at https://doe.nv.gov/ and join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.