This Episode will air at 5 30 pm EST on Saturday January 22nd

Technology Education Innovations, from 1 to 1,000 Schools and Beyond, with Kevin Wang and Brett Wortzman

Over the past decade, Computer Science (CS) education has been the fastest growing subject area in K-12 and postsecondary instruction. In this episode, we will talk with two Harvard alumni who have spent the past 20 years in this space in a variety of different roles, discussing their unique perspective on the growth of CS education, how they found their way in their journey, and what’s next. Kevin and Brett will share how they created a philanthropic program that utilized previously untapped expertise and built an organization that helped 1,000 high schools across the US and Canada develop successful, sustainable, and equitable CS programs. They will describe the process of starting and growing a novel education-based social impact organization that helps tech students at smaller less well-known colleges navigate and launch their careers. They will also discuss unexpected career journeys and their progression of roles as teaching fellows, engineers, curriculum designers, founder, professor, advisor to education organizations and state board of education member.

More about our guests below the video

Episode Guests

Kevin Wang is the founder of the Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS program. TEALS has helped over 1,000 high schools across the US build successful, sustainable, and diverse CS programs with tech volunteers from over 700 companies investing 1.2 million hours in their local high schools. Many of the 85,000+ TEALS alumni have gone on to pursue CS in college and career as a result.

Kevin is also the founder of Mentors in Tech, a program that helps overlooked tech students at smaller, less well known, accessible and affordable colleges navigate and launch their careers through industry mentorship, capstone projects, and career services. Kevin’s work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Geekwire, Univision, and the founding and growth of TEALS is the subject of a Yale School of Management Case Study.

Brett Wortzman is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, where he primarily teaches introductory computer science and CS pedagogy courses. In his introductory courses, he teaches up to 1000 students per quarter with a staff of up to 50 undergraduate TAs, both among the largest at UW. He is also a contributor to the Critical CS Education project, aimed at training K-12 computer science teachers to teach in a critical conscious, justice-based manner. Brett is a co-author on the Critically Conscious Computing book and will be teaching the methods class in the secondary teacher endorsement program in Spring 2022. Prior to joining the Allen School, Brett was a curriculum and training manager for the Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS program, where he was also the first program volunteer. He previously taught computer science and math at Issaquah High School in Issaquah, WA where he  coached the FIRST Robotics Competition team. Brett holds an A.B. in Computer Science from Harvard University and an M. Ed. from the University of Washington.