UCI Science Project Creates Learning Community to Integrate Computer Science in the Classroom 

By Nicole Gilbertson
​April 6, 2025

The UCI Science Project’s Computer Science Community of Practice is helping teachers across California bring computer science and computational thinking into K-8 classrooms and science instruction. Supported by the California Subject Matter Project (CSMP) Integrated Computer Science Project, this yearlong professional learning initiative offered teachers the tools and support to deepen their knowledge and apply it directly in their classrooms.  

Led by Jon Kovach, site director of the UCI Science Project, the program brought together elementary and middle school teachers in monthly sessions to explore  California Computer Science Standards, experiment with new platforms and tools and develop inquiry-based lessons for their students. One teacher shared: “I think that I can integrate CT/CS within most of our science units because many of the practices overlap with the science practice.”  

The program culminated in two events: a teacher showcase at UC Irvine, where teachers presented classroom lessons and student work – like first graders collecting light data using Micro:bits – and a statewide symposium at UCLA. There, Kovach joined colleagues from other subject matter projects (including the California Arts Project, Writing Project, the Global Studies Project and UCLA Science Projects) to lead a hands-on workshop demonstrating how computational thinking can help students interpret real-world data like global air quality patterns.

First-grade students gather data from
Micro:bits

In collaboration with experts like Ivet Gonzalez from El Sol Academy, and Steve Kahn, from the Orange County Department of Education, participants reported greater confidence and leadership in the classroom.  Students, in turn, gained experience in problem-solving, critical thinking and began to see themselves as STEM learners and future leaders.  

As one teacher summed it up: “Computational thinking can be applied anywhere. It's not something to fear – it's something to embrace.”