K-12 students learn in a technology-driven world, but to be more than just consumers of technology, students must develop the computational thinking skills that enable digital innovation. Computer Science is emerging as a new "basic skill" for workers to engage in transformative high-tech careers that change the lives of students and their families through enhanced social mobility and economic opportunity.

This program has been designed for educators who teach K-12 STEM courses and seek an endorsement in computer science. Computer Science I for Teachers and Foundations for Teaching Computer Science provides a solid foundation in computer programming and pedagogical strategies for teaching computer science concepts in K-12 classrooms.

Furthermore, to satisfy the 9 credit hours requirement for K-6 endorsement, educators should select one elective course from the available options, such as Web Programming for Teachers and Discovering Informatics for Teachers. Web Programming for Teachers foundations of software development principles focusing on web programming. This course emphasizes creating reactive websites that align with best practices of User Experience (UX) design. Discovering Informatics for Teachers introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of informatics, encompassing the study of information, computing, and technology in various domains through fundamental common informatics paradigms and application to real-world datasets. For those aspiring to obtain a K-12 endorsement and complete this graduate certificate, an additional elective course is needed to fulfill the requirement of 12 credits. Completion of both courses meets this requirement.

By completing these core and elective classes, educators can accumulate the necessary credit hours and acquire the knowledge and skills in computer science, informatics, and web programming to become highly qualified instructors capable of integrating STEM concepts into their teaching practices effectively.