How CoScreen helps Empowr students overcome education inequality

As the education sector embraces remote learning, it faces the challenge of student engagement. Utilizing CoScreen's screen-sharing software, Empowr students engaged in collaborative group projects throughout the pandemic.

Students are suffering the worst from the pandemic. Black students, in particular, are less likely to have access to the internet, a teacher, or a device to learn on. As time continues, the education gap between black students and their counterparts continues to widen. This disparity grows in a system where black students are already left behind. 43% of black students didn't have access to the classes to become college-ready before the pandemic hit. Even as schools begin to open, black students are essentially playing catch up in a race where they were given lead shoes.

Empowr's program alleviates these issues by teaching software development as a four-year program to black students. We supplement students' traditional education path we a school-to-career program that enables students to secure six-figure careers upon graduating high school. Students are given a MacBook and learn the foundational knowledge of software development, build and release an app, take leadership courses, and so much more. Upon graduation, they are put through our recruitment networks to land their first job.

Empowr's first class began amid the pandemic. Our curriculum was created initially for in-class learning and had to be adapted in real-time to meet our students' needs. We first started by moving teaching onto video conferencing platforms but still suffered from poor student engagement. Using traditional video conferencing platforms allowed students to see what was happening, but they couldn't actively participate.

At this time, Empowr tried to switch it up with pair programming. Rather than following along with a lecture, students could work together through screen-sharing software such as CoScreen to solve programming challenges. Utilizing CoScreen allows our students to talk, code, and collaborate as if in a classroom. Participation increased almost instantly, and so did the assessment scores among our students.

Now our upcoming graduates are utilizing CoScreen to build their own app. Our 2022 class of students came up with an app idea, designed the user interface, and now use CoScreen to write the code together. The CoScreen software, in some ways, is even better than if Empowr was in class. Since multiple students can share the same screen yet type simultaneously, they can leverage each other's knowledge when problem-solving.

Empowr's goal is to end the racial inequities that exist in America. We accomplish this goal through an education program that translates into high-paying careers. Utilizing CoScreen, we can keep student engagement up despite the downward engagement trends brought on by the pandemic. Thanks to the multi-user screen sharing feature, students can collaborate in ways that were not possible before.