TYWLS of Astoria Teacher Andrea Chaves Named White House Champion of Change!

WHITE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, January 26, the White House recognized nine individuals, including TYWLS of Astoria teacher Andrea Chaves, from across the country as “White House Champions of Change for Computer Science Education.”

These individuals were selected by the White House for their leadership and innovation in expanding access to computer science education and for inspiring the next generation to use 21^st century tools to better their communities. They recognize that providing access to computer science education is a critical step for ensuring that our Nation remains competitive in the global economy and strengthen its cybersecurity.

A year ago, President Obama became the first President to write a line of code, and in his State of the Union address, he issued a broad call to action to expand computer science across the nation’s K-12 classrooms. Thanks to the efforts of teachers, parents, state and local officials, educators, philanthropists and CEOs, there is a rapidly growing movement to give every child the opportunity to learn computer science.

The program featured remarks by Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Acting Secretary for the United States Department of Education John King, Chief Technology Officer of the United States Megan Smith, actress and director Gillian Jacobs, and co-founder and executive director of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls Meredith Walker.

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.?

Andrea Chaves—Astoria, New York

Andrea Chaves is a Spanish and Computer Science teacher and creative director at the Young Women’s Leadership School in Astoria, NY. There she has integrated digital education and coding into all of her classes, including Spanish. Andrea also leads a group of students known as the “Tech Crew,” composed of filmmakers, graphic designers, coders, website designers, and project managers. Under Andrea’s guidance, these young women collaborate to solve problems around school like teaching students about recycling through coding educational video games.