Idaho STEM Action Center helps students learn computer skills during Computer Science Education Week

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) - Rocky Mountain Power is working with the Idaho STEM Action Center to join Ririe Elementary School students on Thursday for a fun, interactive computer coding activity.

This is part of a statewide effort to help Idaho students get interested and engaged in the information technology field.

The Idaho Legislature now requires elementary schools to include computer science in their curriculums. A recent study found technology companies in Idaho had 700 more open jobs than there are computer science graduates in the state. This reminds educators how important and urgent STEM education is.

The Idaho STEM Action Center is helping teachers in the area work teach their young students computer science principles. They get to program things such as toy-like robots.

“It’s important that we give folks the tools that STEM really couples nicely with — the tools of communication and teamwork as well as curiosity, and this technical skill set of investigation, trial-and-error, this iterative process of engineering design,” Idaho STEM center’s communications director Crispin Gravatt said. “Those skillsets are transferable across the fields, across industries and over time.”

The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation and Rocky Mountain Power employees support the STEM Action Center with grants and immersive events like this coding activity.

For more information on how the Idaho STEM Action Center works to help Idaho students, visit stem.idaho.gov.