Governor to speak at CS4RI Summit

GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO will speak at the CS4RI Summit Wednesday at the University of Rhode Island. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO will speak at the CS4RI Summit Wednesday at the University of Rhode Island. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo will speak at the CS4RI Summit Wednesday, an event that is expected to draw more than 1,500 students, faculty and business leaders from across the state who are interested in advancing computer science learning.
Hosted by the R.I. Office of Innovation, the event, which will be held at the Ryan Center at the University of Rhode Island at 9 a.m., comes on the heels of last week’s visit from U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. that highlighted the state’s leadership on computer science.

Raimondo launched CS4RI earlier this year, an initiative that places computer science in every public school by December 2017.

“By 2022 – just a few years from now – the Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training projects there will be more than 4,000 openings in computer and math jobs. Just like reading and writing, computer science is the new essential skill,” Raimondo said in a statement. “With CS4RI, we are ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn this skill and to take computer science classes in every school, as early as kindergarten. I want our kids to be creators in the digital economy, not just consumers of technology – and that’s exactly what this summit is all about.”
In addition to Raimondo, speakers are expected to include R.I. Chief Innovation Officer Richard Culatta; URI President David M. Dooley; Barbara Cottam, Rhode Island market executive, Citizens Bank; and Brian O’Connell, head of technology service, Citizens Bank.
Projects, education and career opportunities related to computer science and technology will be featured. Exhibitors will include representatives from business and industry as well as from colleges and universities and K-12 schools.
“URI is a primary partner in the governor’s new CS4RI initiative through its two grants from the National Science Foundation, which total more than $3 million for projects to help URI faculty members work with the state’s secondary schools to develop computer science courses. The university community offers a warm welcome to all of our middle and high school scholars, faculty and business leaders, as they work together to build a strong knowledge economy for Rhode Island,” Dooley said.

Said Cottam, “Citizens is proud to partner on CS4RI, because we recognize that computer science knowledge is a critical skill that will make our students better candidates for our future workforce.”

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