My Brother’s Keeper Coding Makerspace for Historically Underrepresented Young Men of Color
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My Brother’s Keeper Coding Makerspace for Historically Underrepresented Young Men of Color
My Brother’s Keeper Coding Makerspace for Historically Underrepresented Young Men of Color: Motivating Students to Develop Skills and Knowledge of Computer Science and to Develop an Interest in Cybersecurity Careers
Young men of color have benefited from increased interest in cybersecurity opportunities in high school, higher education, employment, and entrepreneurship.
The students use Python (a very useful programming language in cybersecurity) in MAKING Internet of Things (home automation) devices that integrate cybersecurity knowledge and skills. The MBK Coding Makerspace instructors challenge student teams to use Python programming of sensors on the Raspberry Pi microcontroller to create digital maker projects. The student teams identify the problems they want to solve at home, school, or in their community in order to connect their lived experiences and cultures. To develop sociopolitical consciousness through the curriculum, the students apply their learning of Python coding to solving problems for the benefit of individuals and social groups in their lives, within social, economic, and technological realms. Developing sociopolitical consciousness increases the students’ attitude towards computing thereby leading to greater intentions to persist in computing after the MBK Coding Makerspace. The course curriculum provides lessons and strategies that are equitable and culturally relevant for African-American and Hispanic young men.
The MBK Coding Makerspace has great potential to advance knowledge on ways to achieve the goal of broadening participation for students historically underrepresented in computer science and cybersecurity education and careers. The MBK Coding Makerspace provides boys of color with support to be creators, not just consumers, of computing and cybersecurity innovations that will contribute to society. In addition, the MBK Coding Makerspace addresses the increasing need for underrepresented students of color to prepare for the expected growth of cybersecurity jobs that protect the country’s national security.
Young men of color have benefited from increased interest in cybersecurity opportunities in high school, higher education, employment, and entrepreneurship.
The students use Python (a very useful programming language in cybersecurity) in MAKING Internet of Things (home automation) devices that integrate cybersecurity knowledge and skills. The MBK Coding Makerspace instructors challenge student teams to use Python programming of sensors on the Raspberry Pi microcontroller to create digital maker projects. The student teams identify the problems they want to solve at home, school, or in their community in order to connect their lived experiences and cultures. To develop sociopolitical consciousness through the curriculum, the students apply their learning of Python coding to solving problems for the benefit of individuals and social groups in their lives, within social, economic, and technological realms. Developing sociopolitical consciousness increases the students’ attitude towards computing thereby leading to greater intentions to persist in computing after the MBK Coding Makerspace. The course curriculum provides lessons and strategies that are equitable and culturally relevant for African-American and Hispanic young men.
The MBK Coding Makerspace has great potential to advance knowledge on ways to achieve the goal of broadening participation for students historically underrepresented in computer science and cybersecurity education and careers. The MBK Coding Makerspace provides boys of color with support to be creators, not just consumers, of computing and cybersecurity innovations that will contribute to society. In addition, the MBK Coding Makerspace addresses the increasing need for underrepresented students of color to prepare for the expected growth of cybersecurity jobs that protect the country's national security.