Lisa Chambers, Chief Executive Officer of TECH CORPS, sees an increasingly digitized world opening a plethora of opportunities for Ohio’s youth.

Taking advantage of those opportunities, she told the House Technology & Innovation Committee this week, means prioritizing K-12 career-connected technology programs. (Video)

“By engaging K-12 students in a variety of career-connected technology programs, we are providing students with the critical technology and employability skills they will need for post-secondary success,” she said.

Over the past decade, Chambers said, the Columbus-based nonprofit has reached 25,000 students through its work providing computer science and IT education for K-12 schools.

Last summer, TECH CORPS hosted two pilot programs in central and northeast Ohio for high schoolers to earn pre-apprenticeship credentials.

As a result, Chambers said more than 100 students earned pre-apprenticeship certificates and 50% earned an industry-approved credential.

Most of these students reside in urban areas, but work is ongoing to reach those living in rural parts of the state. Chambers said the goal for the program is to expand to 375 students next year with 25% residing in rural areas.

“What we’ve really been trying to work on these last couple of years is thinking about what are the strategies that we have to deploy so we can get to kids in our rural communities,” she said.

Rep. Thad Claggett (R-Newark) asked about what the average student is like, who is interested in joining these programs and what can be done to attract more participants.

Early exposure is key, Chambers replied, but it also requires a little thinking outside of the box.

That means connecting a students’ interest for activities such as puzzles or knitting to computational thinking, she said.

“For them, a lot of times, they’re thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t like to code, so I’m not going to go into technology,’ and not understanding that you can be in this field and never code a day in your life,” she said.

As for how early students should be exposed to computer science lessons, Chambers said the earlier the better.

“Those are great opportunities for kids to just start,” she said. “I believe that career-connected learning actually has to start in kindergarten.”

“We cannot wait until students are in high school or college before we start talking about careers and industry. It’s too late.”

Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) noted, however, there are limits within the classroom.

“Particularly in grades, really K-2, when we’re so intensely focusing on developing foundational literacy, foundational math skills…what are your thoughts about the fact that there is only so much time in the school day?” she asked.

Chambers said the path forward is embedding teaching within existing courses, particularly in mathematics.

“There is a way for us, as the builders of this content, to build something that does not say computer science should be treated as something you do on the side or you do one-hour a year,” she said.

Rep. David Dobos (R-Columbus) asked Chambers about her thoughts on requiring a computer science credit for high school graduation. He has sponsored legislation alongside Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport) to do just that (HB 623 ).

Chambers said she would support such a requirement if the investment exists for schools to have enough credentialed teachers.

The state announced $6 million in grant funding for K-12 teachers to become qualified to teach computer science earlier this year (See Gongwer Ohio Report, January 17, 2024)