Special to the Independent Rep. Joe McGonagle along with Senator Sal DiDomenico and Rep. Manny Cruz welcomed CSforMA to the State House. The two-part event included a presentation by CSforMA Executive Director Deborah Boisvert on the goal and work of the organization as well as an exhibition of students’ work across grades and the Commonwealth.
Everett High was represented by it’s impressive computer science students led by Neil Plotnick. “I was thrilled to be part of this event but even prouder to be representing such incredible students,” said McGonagle. “Computer science is an ever-growing field and it is so important that we give our students access to it. From hobbies to lucrative careers, being proficient in computer science skills is the way of the future. The team at CSforMA does a great job promoting this but also working towards making it available and approachable for all students. Mr. Plotnick at Everett High School is also instrumental in this and I’m grateful our Everett students have him. I also want to thank Senator Sal DiDomenico and Rep. Manny Cruz for their help in organizing and promoting this event, as well as recognizing the importance of this mission” DiDomenico remarked that “it was great to meet with Everett High School students and their CS teacher Neil Plotnick. It is exciting to see the innovative projects they are all working on and how important computer science can be for our state and our students.” Attendees received a presentation from Computer Science for Massachusetts on the status of computer science programs in the state and heard from a panel of educators about the importance of the programs and the way CS benefits our youth. Later on, the event featured a student showcase where people got to see first-hand the impressive projects and programs our K-12 schools and students are creating with computer science. “I want to thank State Representative Joe McGonagle, State Representative Manny Cruz, and all of the teachers and advocates who helped put this great event together and are working to expand computer science programs across Massachusetts,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico. CSforMA is a branch of CSforAll and their mission statement reads “CSforMA is the Massachusetts Computer Science Education Hub for passionate stakeholders dedicated to ensuring that all K-12 students have access to, are able to take and be successful in high-quality computer science coursework. Our priority is to broaden the participation of females, students of color, rural students, and other underserved populations.”