Expanding Computer Science Education Is Good for Kids, Good for Economy

There is no argument that computers impact nearly every aspect of our world, from controlling the lights and temperature settings in "smart" homes to tabulating votes in national elections. Advances in computer science are at the heart of this impact, and the well-paid workforce that creates new applications and more sophisticated computing tools is a vital driver of economic growth.Yet generating that critical workforce is a challenge. Nationally, there are an estimated 500,000 open computing jobs. On top of that, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 500,000 new jobs will be added by 2024. Even as demand for these occupations explodes, they also are among the highest paid, with a median annual wage of more than $79,000.Universities are generating computer science graduates, but nowhere near enough to keep pace with demand. At the same time, the percentage of women earning undergraduate degrees in this field has declined in recent years.  Continue reading...