GameSalad Offers Free Computer Science Curriculum to Classrooms Impacted by Hurricane Harvey
Texas computer science teachers will face a daunting task when hundreds of thousands of students finally return to school after having missed significant class time while coping with the unprecedented natural disaster caused by Hurricane Harvey.
To help these teachers make up for lost time and get the most out of the abbreviated school year, Austin-based GameSalad is donating a full year of access to the company’s innovative coding curriculum and world-class technology to educators based in Houston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont, and the surrounding areas. GameSalad’s innovative approach to teaching computer science fundamentals is unique in that it enables students to create their own mobile games. Typically offered at a cost of $1,700 per classroom, the no-strings donation’s potential value to struggling Texas students is significant.
“Students from Corpus Christi to Houston to Port Arthur need help, and they shouldn’t have their education delayed while their teachers are waiting for the resources they so critically need,” said GameSalad CEO Brent Dusing. “We want to do our part to relieve schools’ financial burden by offering world-class computer science education for free to all schools affected by Hurricane Harvey.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Hurricane Harvey disaster declaration covers more than half a million students attending schools in 58 counties.
School districts across America are already using GameSalad in their classrooms, and their students are more engaged in computer science learning than ever. More than one dozen Texas school districts, including Houston ISD, feature GameSalad technology in their classrooms.
“The GameSalad founding team all grew up along the Texas coast,” said Tan Tran, GameSalad’s co-founder and a Klein ISD graduate. “With this program, we’re hoping to give back to the region that’s meant so much to us and hopefully make the transition back to normal a little bit easier.”
School districts that accept the GameSalad free offer will have immediate access to a computer science curriculum aligned to Texas educational standards, professional-grade game development platform, online training and technical support. Most importantly, teachers and their students will benefit from this curriculum for the entire 2017-2018 school year. The GameSalad donation is being underwritten by GameSalad and their Houston-based investors, Mercury Fund and Alfred Glassell.
GameSalad is specifically tailored for computer science students in grades 4-10. With the GameSalad Platform, students learn foundational computer science concepts, then put them to use by building unique, high-quality games they can play on their own mobile devices.
“The Texas Gulf Coast is critical to our state’s economic engine,” Dusing said. “For that engine to keep pumping, we can’t afford to lose this generation of computer science students. GameSalad is proud to do our small part to help teachers reach every student in their classrooms.”
Texas school districts interested in accepting this free curriculum offer for students impacted by Hurricane Harvey are encouraged to contact GameSalad directly at education@gamesalad.com or 1-844-837-8387.
Media Contact:
Tan Tran
GameSalad CEO
(888) 837-8387
pr@gamesalad.com
