Dive Brief:
- Flatiron School, an accelerated learning program for web and mobile development, is offering 500 scholarships for K-12 teachers interested in computer science training to take back to their schools.
- The company said training teachers in computer science will be easier than training computer scientists to teach.
- The program includes 150 hours of technical training, giving teachers interested in shifting their career trajectory an opportunity for rapid retraining in a low-supply, high-demand field.
Dive Insight:
Flatiron’s announcement about its Computer Science Teaching Fellowship fits into a trend of alternative credentialing. Coding bootcamps have been announced all over the country, offering to give adults the skills they need to apply for computer science and programming jobs.
President Barack Obama has supported such initiatives with federal grants, advocating for alternative paths to employment in well-paying fields. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act likely will include funding streams for alternative programs, renowned for their innovative potential.