News - Saginaw Preschool Pioneers Computer Science for Young Learners

In a groundbreaking move, Saginaw's Jerome Green STEM Preschool is set to introduce coding and computer science into the classroom, making it the first preschool in Michigan to successfully adopt a state-aligned Computer Science for All implementation plan. This innovative curriculum aims to provide four- and five-year-old students from programs like Early Head Start, Head Start, and the Great Start Readiness Program with foundational coding skills. The Saginaw Intermediate School District (ISD) has integrated age-appropriate coding teaching methods into daily routines, focusing on play-based robotics, pattern recognition, problem-solving, and collaborative projects that help enhance literacy, math skills, creativity, and confidence among young learners. Dr. Erin Senkowski, Saginaw ISD Deputy Superintendent, expressed pride in Jerome Green STEM Preschool's leadership for its pioneering efforts. She highlighted the project's potential to inspire similar initiatives statewide. The school achieved this milestone through the Strategic CSforALL Resource and Implementation Planning framework (SCRIPT), working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education. Principal Corey Nichols, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking over screen time, expressed a commitment to hands-on and joyful learning experiences that suit developmental capabilities of preschoolers. He highlighted that children often have untapped potential, and this program aims to unlock that. The initiative was brought to life through the collaboration of educators including teachers Jessica Theile, Sandra Rabadue, Elaina Hewitt, Jennifer Steckly, LaToya Sewell, as well as local administrative and state partners. Leading the charge, the Saginaw ISD, serving circa 26,000 students across a wide network of schools, sees this pioneering effort in introducing computer science education at the preschool level as a model for others in Michigan to follow.