The Kapor Center conducts research, funds external research, shares findings and best practices, builds capacity among stakeholders and informs policy. Our unparalleled analysis of diversity and inclusion underpins all of our work, helping us improve opportunities for underrepresented genius while strengthening our national economy.
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Areas of Focus
Equity in K–12 Computer Science Education
Without access to rigorous computer science and STEM courses, underrepresented students have limited opportunities and aspirations to develop computing knowledge. Our research examines course availability, enrollment, persistence and equity in computer science education while also identifying ways of expanding computer science knowledge to all students, particularly girls and students of color.
Entry, Persistence, and Completion of Degrees in Computing
When women and underrepresented students of color reach higher education, a range of barriers prevent them from pursuing and persisting in computer science majors and completing computing degrees. We develop research-based interventions and strategies to increase their participation and success in computing studies.
Participation and Inclusion in the Tech Workforce
Biases and inequity hinder hiring, advancement opportunities and wages for women and people of color in tech. Moreover, workplace cultures of harassment and hostility prevent these groups from entering and remaining in the tech workforce in the first place. We examine and identify strategies to resolve these problems and foster diversity and inclusion in tech workplaces.
Diversifying Entrepreneurship
Our team explores ways to mitigate the bias among tech founders and investors who decide what ideas deserve funding. The goal is to create an ecosystem where women and underrepresented people of color have equal access to social networks and capital, and no longer face prejudice in investment decisions.
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Featured Research
Computer Science in California Schools: An Analysis of Access, Enrollment and Equity
Data Brief: Women and Girls of Color in Computing
Computer Science in California’s Public Schools: 2016 AP CS Results and Implications
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- In a year of tragedy, injustice, and upheaval, have we seen progress in the quest for racial justice in technology? May 25, 2021 Posted in: Civic Engagement, Civic Technology, Racial Justice, Research Publications, Tech & Social Impact, Technology, Uncategorized - On May 25, 2020, the world had been shaken by the brutal murder of George Floyd that forced a reckoning with our country’s history of racism, and led to subsequent calls for systemic change to finally address longstanding racial inequities… Continue Reading
- THE COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER LANDSCAPE: RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE TEACHER SURVEY May 6, 2021 Posted in: Computer Science Access, Computer Science Intervention, Education, Research Publications, STEM Research - While the technology sector remains one of the fastest growing industries across the nation and continues to rapidly permeate all facets of society, the next generation of the computing workforce must be equipped with the skills to examine how current… Continue Reading
- The Black Technology Workforce: Designing a More Inclusive Future February 22, 2021 Posted in: Diversifying Tech, Professional Development, Racial Justice, Research Publications, Technology, Uncategorized, Workplace Culture - Why aren’t there more Black workers in tech, and why is progress so slow? Download infographic here. Overall data trends across the tech industry show a disparity in Black representation across the ecosystem. Since 2014, advocacy groups (including the Congressional… Continue Reading
- Teacher Perspectives on COVID-19’s Impact on K-12 Computer Science Instruction October 19, 2020 Posted in: Computer Science Access, Research Publications, Uncategorized - When the COVID-19 pandemic forced teachers nationwide to transition hastily to emergency distance learning environments, concerns about educational equity and access emerged. The Kapor Center and the Computer Science Teachers Association surveyed nearly 3,700 K-12 computer science teachers, to understand… Continue Reading
- Computer Science in California Schools: An Analysis of Access, Enrollment and Equity June 14, 2019 Posted in: Computer Science Access, Research Publications, Uncategorized - This report examines current and trend data on course access, enrollment, and equity in computer science education across California. Key findings from this report include: *Just 39% of high schools in California offer computer science courses, and only 14% offer… Continue Reading
- What’s it like to be a female tech entrepreneur? February 1, 2019 Posted in: Computer Science Access, Computer Science Intervention, Girls of Color In CS, Research Publications, Uncategorized - It’s been roughly one year since the summer of Silicon Valley’s discontent. Women’s stories of their encounters with creepy VCs may not have surprised us, but they did usher in a series of expulsions, hand-wringing and — because this is Silicon Valley — opportunities… Continue Reading
- Data Brief: Women and Girls of Color in Computing August 3, 2018 Posted in: Computer Science Access, Computer Science Intervention, Girls of Color In CS, Research Publications - The Kapor Center has partnered with the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology at Arizona State University to launch the Women of Color in Computing Researcher/Practitioner Collaborative (https://www.wocincomputing.org). This data brief outlines the participation of women of color… Continue Reading
- SMASH Impact Report 2017 Executive Summary May 11, 2018 Posted in: Computer Science Intervention, Research Publications, STEM Research - SMASH evaluation data have been collected each summer for seven years, along with annual alumni surveys to examine longitudinal outcomes of SMASH scholars. The SMASH Impact Report 2017 Executive Summary provides the summary of these results from this past year… Continue Reading
- SMASH Impact Report 2017 May 11, 2018 Posted in: Computer Science Intervention, Research Publications, STEM Research - SMASH evaluation data have been collected each summer for seven years, along with annual alumni surveys to examine longitudinal outcomes of SMASH scholars. The SMASH Impact Report 2017 provides the highlights of these results from this past year of data… Continue Reading
- The Leaky Tech Pipeline: A Comprehensive Framework for Understanding and Addressing the Lack of Diversity across the Tech Ecosystem February 28, 2018 Posted in: Computer Science Access, Girls of Color In CS, Research Publications, STEM Research, Workplace Culture - This report introduces the Leaky Tech Pipeline Framework, explores data on underrepresentation and barriers to diversity, and provides a roadmap for comprehensive interventions and solutions to increase racial and gender diversity across the tech ecosystem. Check out the report below:… Continue Reading