Alabama State University has announced that it will become a community center for Coding and Creativity as part of Apple’s Community Education Initiative and Tennessee State University’s HBCU C2. The teaching and learning initiative is designed to empower Historically Black Colleges and Universities to expand technology and creativity experiences within their institutions and broader communities.
“We are excited to partner with Apple and Tennessee State University to establish Alabama State University as a community center for Coding and Creativity,” said ASU President Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr. “This partnership directly aligns with the CommUniversity anchor of our ‘Focus 2030’ Strategic Plan, which focuses on building partnerships that help the University to expand opportunities for our students and faculty, while increasing our impact locally, nationally and globally.”
As an HBCU C2 C community coding center, or technology hub, Alabama State University will offer new learning opportunities for degree-seeking students and community learners. ASU will join the nearly three dozen universities across the country that have expanded their impact through partnerships with local K-12 schools, community organizations, local governments, and more.
As part of its Community Education Initiative, Apple is supporting Alabama State University with equipment and ongoing professional development to become the pre-eminent HBCU C2 community center to bring coding and creativity to Montgomery, Alabama.
The HBCU C2 partnership will also benefit ASU faculty and other educators who will learn about coding and app development, and work with Apple to identify opportunities to incorporate its comprehensive Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curricula, which utilizes the easy-to-learn Swift programming language. Support from Apple also includes mobile iPad and Mac labs, opportunities for student jobs and scholarships, and funding for staff.
“Apple is to be commended for establishing these centers that offer opportunities for a more diverse group of students to expand their coding skills as they pursue careers in the computer sciences. These kinds of opportunities are invaluable to ASU students who will gain enhanced career prospects and more lucrative employment opportunities,” Ross said.
