Community Foundation awards RVC Grant for Coding Workshops

Community Foundation awards RVC Grant for Coding Workshops
Rock Valley College is proud to announce it has received a $30,000 grant for “Ozobot: Learn Coding with Robots” workshops. The grant was awarded with support from the Barber-Colman Management Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.
“Ozobot: Learn Coding with Robots” empowers children and adults to learn to code anywhere they go, create adventures, play games, and solve problems. The grant funds will be used to purchase 600 Ozobot robot building kits to serve 600 students in grades K-8.
“Only one in seven K-12 schools in the Rockford region offers computer science courses, while businesses in Illinois post four times more computer related jobs than all other job types,” says Chuck Konkol, RVC Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems. “One goal of the Ozobot curriculum is to expose elementary and middle school students to computer science careers before entering high school and making important decisions about their futures.”
“Many students in our region attend schools where, due to lack of funding, it is difficult for those schools to offer computer science coursework,” said Dr. Doug Jensen, President of Rock Valley College. “Many students in the Rockford region may not believe that higher education and careers in computer science are within their reach. Workshops like ‘Coding with Robots’ are about accessibility for students in our region.”
The “Ozobot: Learn Coding with Robots” offers students the opportunity to connect classroom learning to real world problems and career opportunities, develop critical and creative thinking skills, experience “real-world” hands-on learning, enhance interest in and engagement with STEM, experience a curriculum based on Next Generation Science Standards, experience project-based learning opportunities, develop basic literacy in the language of technology, coding and robotics, and work effectively in teams.
About Rock Valley College:
Rock Valley College is a comprehensive two-year community college in Rockford, Illinois, offering more than 100 courses for transfer, career programs and certificates. Rock Valley College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Rock Valley College is also recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and by the Illinois Community College Board.
About the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois:
The mission of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is to serve as a catalyst for giving in order to attract, preserve, and grow an endowment for current and future needs of Northern Illinois. Since its founding in 1953, CFNIL has granted more than $71 million for charitable purposes. Learn more about CFNIL’s grant making and commitment to endowment at cfnil.org.