The Mission of #CS4IL

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition of individuals dedicated to achieving world-class K-12 Computer Science education for every student, in ​every school, throughout Illinois.

Couldn't join our June 6th "Relaunch" Meeting?
​
​Listen to the recorded session here

Are you interested in joining us?


If you are an individual with an interest in joining our cause, click here for 

a form to register as an Individual Member.


If you wish to become a Member representing an organization or

corporation that shares our commitment to doing right by every student

in Illinois, please email president@cs4il.org directly.

​

Though we are calling this a “relaunch,” our Mission and Vision organizationally has not changed.  Just the opposite, as a federally-recognized public service 501(c)(3) non profit, we’ve been empowered to serve all regions of the state in a much broader, much more impactful manner.  We are a grassroots advocacy group capable now of receiving tax-deductible donations and allocating these toward the achievement of our Mission.

We intend to broaden our reach this year to include K-12 teachers, school counselors, school/district admin, industry representatives, curriculum providers, higher education faculty, researchers, policymakers, nonprofits, parents/guardians, and legislators.  ​

SAVE THE DATE

​Join Us for the First Annual Illinois Statewide #ILCSEdSummit2019

Meet others who are dedicated to expanding the availability of Computer Science Education to ALL the students of Illinois
Friday, September 20th, 2019
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications
The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
More details to follow soon!

Join our cause.

​Any individual with an interest in supporting our mission is encouraged to join CS4IL.  We are currently-building a coalition of elected officials, industry professionals, parents/guardians, K-12 educators, K-12 school and district administrators, college-level educators, academic researchers, advocates, and ultimately anyone with an interest in becoming actively-involved to join us.  

Express your interest in joining us by completing the form accessible here.

Learn about our vision.

On 30 June, 2017, pursuant to PA099-0647, the Illinois State Board of Education Computer Science Education Task Force published a Report provided to Governor Bruce Rauner and every Illinois state legislator.  Achieving legislation supporting each of the Report recommendations is the starting point for our work.  

You can read the full Report as it was sent to our Governor and General Assembly here.

Get the word out.

As a grassroots coalition, we hope that all individuals interested in getting involved will reach out to their own professional and social networks to help expand our reach to include stakeholders across Illinois.

Please use the hashtag #CS4IL in helping to get our message out to your social media networks!

Reach out to your local state legislators.

You can find out who your state representative and state senator are and how to contact them directly by clicking here.  

Contacting your state representative and state senator is the single most immediate and impactful strategy you can implement today.  

In connecting with your state representative and state senator, ask them three simple questions:

​(1)  "Have you read the first 13 pages of the IL CS Education Task Force Report yet?  If not, when will you do so?  If so, what is your initial reaction to what you read?"
(2)  "What is your belief about the value of K-12 Computer Science Education for all students in Illinois?" 
(3)  "What actions do you intend to take to help bring a world-class K-12 Computer Science Education to all students in Illinois?"

Encourage your local state legislators to become involved with our coalition!

National and state leaders now recognize the importance of computer science and information technology to our state and regional economies. The knowledge and skills students learn in computer science and IT classes are essential to every industry, from manufacturing to agriculture to medicine. Computing skills are changing our students from being technology consumers to becoming creators and innovators in the global economy."

—Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, in Bridging the Computer Science Gap: Five Actions States Can Take, Page 1, Southern Regional Education Board, 2016