Trinity College School learned this week that it was named amongst a group of institutions to receive the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award from the College Board. The award recognizes schools for their efforts at “expanding young women’s access to AP Computer Science Principles” during the 2019-2020 school year. To qualify for the award, an AP computer science course must have a minimum 50% female enrolment; TCS was one of 831 schools (out of 20,000 schools worldwide offering AP courses) to achieve this standard in the Computer Science Principles course.

“Several years ago Trinity College School made the important decision to require all Grade 9 students to complete a mandatory computer science course (ICS2O), ensuring exposure to programming, hardware, software and internet technologies,” explains Myke Healy, director of teaching and learning. “As an enrichment opportunity, all ICS2O students are able to take the AP Computer Sciences Principles extension, and we have seen remarkable success so far in our students’ results. With mandatory exposure to computer programming at the lower grades, it was our sincere hope that a greater number of female students would find an interest in the discipline and go on to enrol in elective computer science courses in Grades 11 and 12, which has indeed happened.”

The Advanced Placement Program notes, “This honor recognizes the outstanding work your school is doing to engage more female students in computer science… New research shows that female students who take AP computer science are more likely to major in computer science in college compared with matched peers. Through your leadership in diversifying computer science education, you’re preparing your female students for the high-paying, in-demand jobs of the future and giving them the opportunity to help solve some of society's most challenging problems.”