Creating opportunity and excitement for STEM careers

The impact that technology has on our lives is incredible — it has changed the way we communicate, has created improvements in our health and has revolutionized the way we understand and interpret our world.

As opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) continue to grow, so do the possibilities. In fact, a recent analysis of 26 million job postings found that nearly half of all the jobs in the top quartile in pay require some coding knowledge or skills. That number will only grow larger in the years to come. By 2018, 51 percent of all STEM jobs are projected to be in a CS-related field.

But the sheer pace of this change threatens to leave many behind. As technology continues to evolve, there is an increased need to learn about its use, application and development — not only so we can grow and prosper in the digital economy, but so we can help to create it too. But with only a quarter of K-12 schools offering a CS course with programming included, we must work to bridge the digital divide.

Capital One is among the nation’s technology leaders helping to do just that. Through its five-year, $150 million Future Edge initiative, Capital One is helping to equip more Americans with the skills, tools and resources they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.

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C1 Coders Program

One element of the Future Edge initiative is Capital One’s C1 Coders Program, an ongoing educational effort that helps get middle school kids excited about STEM during a critical period in their education. Through this year’s 10-week program, over one thousand sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students at schools across the country learn from Capital One tech volunteers about problem solving, teamwork and the principles of software development.

Once that foundation is established, the students then learn how to create their own mobile applications using MIT University’s App Inventor 2.

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“I just created something that I never knew I could create!” exclaimed a middle school student who just got her app working for the first time.

These student-created apps range from NutriTron, an app where users input their food allergies and scan barcodes of food packages to see if they contain the allergen, to Impulse Racer, a racing game where users compete against other users.

“I’m really appreciative [of C1 Coders] for coming and giving us this really good chance to learn new skills and have fun and meet different people,” said one of the students after seeing his app come to life.

The program offers a fun and interactive glimpse into what a career in technology looks like. At the end of the course, students are even provided a laptop of their own to encourage continued learning.

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Family Code Night

Another element of the Future Edge initiative is support for Family Code Night. Part of President Obama’s Computer Science for All movement, Family Code Night is a fast, free and fun community-building event that cultivates excitement among children about learning to code. Children pair up with their parent or guardian to do their first hour of coding together and the effect is dramatic. Parents and kids love going from consumers of code to creators of code.

Exposing kids to the world of STEM is one of the best ways to boost our workforce of computer programmers and technology professionals moving forward. Programs like C1 Coders and Family Code Night help to demystify coding and are sometimes the first — if not only — entry point into this field for many kids.

“At Capital One, we are excited about the digital age in which we live," says Jennifer Manry, VP of Technology at Capital One. "We want students to be excited too, so they can compete, grow and prosper in the future. That’s why we are committed to interactive programs that support STEM education, like C1 Coders and Family Code Night."

As we continue to hurtle toward a world of exponential technological progress, we must invest in the future leaders who will pick up the torch and keep the work going — while also providing for people now. Through the Future Edge initiative and programs like C1 Coders and Family Code Night, Capital One is helping to do just that.

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