UpSkill Program Enters Fourth Year Teaching Coding to High School Students
JONESBORO – The highly successful UpSkill program teaching industry-standard mobile app languages and programming to high school students continues for the fourth consecutive year at Arkansas State University.
With the considerable success over the past three years since its pilot program launch, support for the program was renewed for the 2023-2024 academic year by the Arkansas Department of Education, the Arkansas Public School Resource Center and the Governor’s Initiative on Computer Science Skills.
Each of the past two years, more than 50 students have completed the program that is open to both high school students across the state as well as A-State students. Hundreds of students have taken advantage of online coursework.
“We are excited to have the ongoing support of the Governor’s Office for this important training program for young Arkansans,” said Chris Boothman, interim vice chancellor for enrollment management and global engagement. “A-State Online is proud to provide this service both to students coming up through our high schools as well as our students enrolled here at A-State. We know these are highly marketable skills in great demand by companies here in the state.”
From its origins as a three-course series focused on coding in Swift, the program has evolved to include a game design and development track and an Android app development track.
All three courses are designed and administered by the A-State Online program, the home of the state’s largest online university program, and high school students completing the courses receive nine hours of college credit.
The program is open to all high school students in the state of Arkansas, and is coordinated through the individual school systems. The Arkansas Department of Education Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has provided the Arkansas Public School Resource Center (APSRC) with a grant to enroll up to 250 high school students in UpSkill at A-State’s Swift coding program for the 2023 fall semester at no cost to the student or the school.
To learn more about deadlines and specific requirements, go to AState.edu/UpSkill for more information online, or follow the program at Facebook.com/UpSkill or @UpSkill on Twitter. Schools wishing to participate in the grant opportunity can call APSRC at (501) 492-4300 or email jketcham@apsrc.net.
