Occasionally an opportunity comes along, out of the blue, that really makes you stand up and take notice. It is not something that has been on your radar, nor is it something that you had a vision for with developed goals on how to get there. Instead, it just happens. You calculate your risk; decide to go for it, because even if it does not pan out, you are still in a good place.
And that just happened to me.
After 10 years in a career that was solely responsible for CS Education advocacy and training, opportunity came along. I will be transitioning into a position that has potential for broader impact and creating real-life opportunities for K-12 students to experience computer science in action. I have enjoyed my 10+ years as a K-12 Outreach Coordinator, conducting professional development for CS teachers and facilitating student programs. But it’s time for something different. I will be coordinating a high school version of a program called EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service). Teams of high school students pair with a non-profit community partner, and engineer a solution to a need. This includes all engineering disciplines, including computer science.
And that has now created an opportunity for someone else – hopefully one of you. If you are passionate about CS education, professional development, and K-12 kiddos. This might just be for you.
Purdue University’s Department of Computer Science is looking for a new K-12 Outreach Coordinator. To learn more about it, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/PurdueCSK12Job
Mindy Hart
At-Large Representative