ADVANCED LEARNING TO CODE

Share this article with a friend.

February 15, 2024

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Notre Dame Prep continues its leadership in academic technology after initiating exclusive alliance with national coding organization.

In October of last year, Code.org, a global movement created to teach and learn computer science, celebrated its 10th anniversary in San Francisco.

Tech icons like Bill Gates, OpenAI’s Mira Murati, Jeff Wilke, Code.org’s co-founders Ali and Hadi Partovi, and more took the stage to look back on the organization’s impact, as well as to look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the future.

This year, Notre Dame Prep joined an elite group of schools and school districts across the country in Code.org's District Program, putting NDP on a list of only four such schools or districts in Michigan that include National Heritage Academies, Detroit Public Schools and Chippewa Valley Schools.

In a release from Code.org, Cameron Wilson, Code.org's president, said Notre Dame Prep's "commitment to expanding access to computer science education for all students is both admirable and impactful." 

Important skills to learn

"At Code.org, we firmly believe computer science is foundational for every student," Wilson added. "It empowers individuals and opens doors to numerous opportunities. Joining the Code.org District Program reaffirms this belief and showcases your commitment to providing a well-rounded education to your students."

Eden Konja, NDP's director of information and academic technology, said the school is teaming up with Code.org in part to provide teachers with resources, curriculum and professional development related to computer science. 

"As coding is becoming an important digital skill that our students need, working with Code.org will allow our school and teachers to embrace this program and give us more classes and enhance our already impressive STEM course work," Konja said. 

Banks Spicer, district success manager for Code.org, said that Grand Valley State University will be Notre Dame Prep's regional partner in the program.

"Grand Valley will be a key contact for Notre Dame Prep throughout your computer science implementation journey," Spicer said. "They bring a wealth of expertise and experience in supporting schools like yours and are here to ensure your CS education initiatives thrive. We are grateful for your dedication to providing equitable access to computer science education. Together we can make a lasting impact on the future of your students and community. We look forward to working closely with Notre Dame Prep!"

Longtime focus on educational technology

Notre Dame Prep is part of a select group of schools worldwide recognized as Microsoft Showcase Schools. The designation signifies NDP's success in finding powerful new ways to support learning through technology. In addition, the lower school has been honored for innovation as an Apple Distinguished School. Both honors reflect our commitment to make the most of educational technology and to prepare NDP students to lead the way in a digital world.

In addition, NDP was the first high school in the world to utilize Dassault Systèmes’ 3-D Experience platform, including CATIA, DELMIA, SIMULIA, and ENOVIA, as part of its computer science curriculum. Since 2013, students in the school's CAD curriculum also have had the opportunity to engage with the University of Detroit Mercy in a dual enrollment program with its College of Engineering and Science.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.