Mouse.org Hosts 6th Annual Diversity In Tech Awards

NEW YORK, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mouse, a nonprofit for innovative educational programs, honored six schools that worked tirelessly this past year to transition to remote learning via coursework in its Design League program during its sixth annual Diversity In Tech Awards.

With New York City schools driven to hybrid learning models due to the pandemic, Mouse focused on expanding its renowned Design League program to help 45 teachers in 17 schools spanning all five boroughs better adapt to remote learning. More than 900 students participated in the semester-long program where they were tasked to research, brainstorm, prototype, and present their original concept for a mobile app. This year's participants developed solutions for problems in their communities using the theme of mutual aid and technology to build support systems that everyone within their community can benefit from.

Mouse's annual Diversity In Tech Awards honored the following six schools whose teachers and students actively worked within this year's program to address issues within their communities including gun violence, food insecurity, transforming the senior population with an active, healthy lifestyle, helping those with limited mobility get what they need, and more. The schools being honored include:

Bronx International High School: A team of teachers collaborated to bring the Design League curriculum to more than 100 students across the four grades.

High School of Media and Communications: Despite a myriad of challenges brought on due to the school's opening and closing, the teachers were able to prevail and successfully move forward with the program.

M.S. 582 – The Magnet School for Multimedia, Technology, and Urban Planning: The school pushed to incorporate Design League curriculum across all classes, covering 270 students within all the three grades. In order to keep students engaged, it held multiple student project fairs.

M.S. 358 – The Magnet School for STEAM Exploration & Experiential Learning: Launched the program quickly and effectively and led strong interviews with community members.

I.S. 145 – Magnet School of Innovation and Applied Learning: Effectively integrated the program into art classes and took the lead on accommodating all student learning levels.

I.S. 075 – Frank D. Paulo: Seamlessly launched the program and pushed it forward. The school also worked to allow for the content to fit the needs of the school and students.

"Nothing has exacerbated the deep inequities in the United States' educational system and how it impacts students of color like the COVID-19 crisis," said Larry Lieberman, CEO of Mouse.org. "Mouse is dedicated to ensuring that these diverse voices are recognized, heard, and provided with access to learning that enables them to see themselves as leaders in the 21st Century workforce. This year's honorees are truly extraordinary New York City teachers who have persevered to deliver advanced STEM and computer science programs during a challenging school year."

With this year's shift to remote learning, teachers were actively looking for more impactful ways to work with students and their classes to encourage meaningful interaction and collaboration. Leaning on the robust curriculum from Mouse's Design League program gave them the tools and resources they needed to motivate their students in new and interesting ways. The honorees exemplify the brightest students and strongest education leaders making change possible in New York City.

Dana Shea, a teacher at I.S. 075 Frank D. Paulo in Staten Island said, "Design League has provided me with the opportunity to work with students in a team setting, with all of us contributing as partners. From the start, students took on the responsibility of their learning and formed teams to discover and implement the steps of the design process. Students' individual strengths were able to shine as they each played vital roles on their team. Participating in Design League has inspired me to bring this idea of teamwork into my classroom; letting students use their strengths to work together towards a common goal."

For more information on the great work Mouse does every day for students and educators across the country, along with additional details on its Design League program and Diversity In Tech Awards, please visit mouse.org.

About Diversity In Tech Awards™
The Diversity In Tech Awards™ is a celebration for those who are championing the nationwide movement to increase diversity across the technology industry. 

About Mouse
Mouse is a national youth development nonprofit that empowers all youth and educators to engage with computer science and creative technology to solve real problems and make meaningful change in our world. We are committed to fostering greater diversity and humanity in STEM and empowering youth -- and all those that educate them -- to access and amplify technology as a force for good. Visit mouse.org or @mouse_org for more information.

Design League is a program that teaches UI/UX using Human Centered Design. The program has a Mutual Aid theme and asks students to design a wireframe for an app that helps solve a community problem. 900 Students are in the program.

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Chelsea Formica    
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SOURCE Mouse

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