Madeira Wins College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award

5/17/19—Madeira recently earned the first College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A. Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded girls’ access in AP Computer Science courses. Out of more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, Madeira is one of only 167 schools that earned the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for AP Computer Science A.

“By inviting so many young women to advanced computer science classrooms, Madeira has taken a significant step toward preparing its students for the widest range of 21st-century opportunities,” said Trevor Packer, College Board senior vice president of the AP Program. “We hope this inspires many other high schools to engage more female students in AP Computer Science and prepare them to drive innovation.”

Beyond preparing students for AP Computer Science in the classroom, Madeira also provides real-world STEAM exposure through its Co-Curriculum internship program, giving students hands-on experience at engineering firms, labs, and technology companies. Trudy P. ’19 completed her senior Co-Curriculum internship at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, where she researched security vulnerabilities in ship navigation systems.

“Madeira has given me a strong foundation in STEAM and increased my knowledge about computer science. The personal development I experienced in an all-girls environment helped me feel really confident in going beyond my school community,” Trudy noted. “After my Co-Curriculum internship at Johns Hopkins, it is exhilarating to say that I improved ship navigation security. It was also a little scary because I was able to figure out how to hack into the system.”

Madeira is among the top AP Computer Science programs worldwide in providing inspiring opportunities for young women.