AIR@NE was a NSF-funded grant that examined the adaptation and implementation of a validated K-8
Computer Science curriculum in diverse school districts. The grant expanded the
Research-Practitioner Partnership between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Lincoln Public
Schools (LPS) to other districts across Nebraska.
The primary goal was to study how
districts facing different contextual challenges, including rural schools, majority-minority
schools, and Native American reservation schools, adapt the curriculum to fit local needs and
strengths to broaden participation in computer science.
AIR@NE connected teachers across the state of Nebraska, from the panhandle to Omaha and Lincoln.
This statewide community helped connect CS teachers to other CS teachers. It created a place to
learn and grow that wasn't bound by distance.
As more states add CS to their standards, we
realized there might be a spot for an online PLC, centered around CS.