Good news for students across the country: the STEM Education Act (HR 1020) has passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. It’s now on its way to the White House for President Obama’s signature!

The STEM Education Act makes a few great changes:

Most importantly, it opens the door for more investment in computer science through existing federal programs and grants by adding computer science to the official definition of “STEM education.” It also helps computer science teachers by making them eligible for federal scholarships.

This is a big deal because computer science is something that benefits every student. It gives them access to the highest paying, most in-demand jobs in the United States. But because it’s inaccessible to most students, computer science also has a diversity problemmuch worse than STEM fields as a group.

New support has been in the works for years. Back in January 2014, our founder Haditestified to Congress that computer science is marginalized across the K-12 education system, partially due to a lot of old definitions that haven’t kept up with now-foundational skills. The STEM Education Act was their response.

The House Science Committee is excited about this step forward, and we’re encouraged that Congress listened to our efforts and yours.

75% percent of American schools don’t even offer computer science, but we’re closer to giving every student in every school the chance to learn how our world works and prepare for 21st-century careers.

- Cameron Wilson, VP of Government Affairs, Code.org