In September 2022, CSUDH celebrated the official opening of the Snap Inc. Institute for Technology and Education (SITE), whose transformational mission is to make computer science an integral part of K-12 education in Los Angeles.

Housed within the CSUDH College of Education (COE), SITE was made possible by a $5 million gift from Snap Inc.—the largest single donation in CSUDH history—as well as the Computer Science for All (CSforALL) CSforED initiative.  

Speaking at the launch, Snap Inc. public policy manager Jasson Crockett said that the glaring lack of diversity in tech was a catalyst for the historic gift.

“We wanted to do something meaningful beyond just cataloging the problem and its potential solutions,” Crockett said. “If we want more people of color to pursue careers in tech, we have to expose more youth to computer science early and make sure we’re training enough computer science teachers.” 

“We want our preservice teachers and local students to have joyful, engaging, relevant computer science experiences that inspire their passions, connect to their interests, and show them that regardless of their future path, computer science is something anyone and everyone can do and connect with,” said SITE director Mike Karlin.

“If you want to diversify tech, you need to go to schools that are preparing teachers to work in diverse communities,” added Jessica Pandya, Dean of the College of Education. “CSUDH prepares the most diverse teachers in California.”

SITE has already begun engaging in a number of research, partnership, and curricular improvement activities. COE faculty have been integrating the California K-12 Computer Science standards into preservice teacher coursework.

SITE has also partnered with local school districts to better understand their computer science needs and to hold events for elementary school students and teachers.  

In June 2022, SITE was invited by the U.S. Department of Education and the International Society for Technology in Education to be part of a select group of colleges in support of their Digital Equity and Transformation network, where it will work to improve technology practices in preservice teacher education.

“There is a big divide in this nation, and it isn’t just political or racial. It is technological,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. “The Snap gift is so essential because it is an investment in the mission of bridging that gap by educating the next generation of students.”

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