We hosted a discussion on computer science education funding in the 117th Congress and the American Jobs Plan on Thursday, June 17th, at 3pm EST. Members of Congress and STEM education experts discussed the current and future legislative prospects of computer science education funding.

Congress faces a historic opportunity to seed America’s future workforce by investing in the ultimate future-proof asset — students. In recent weeks a dozen bills have dropped in Congress aimed at improving computer science and STEM outcomes for millions of students. Like President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, which Congress awaits, most of these bills are tailored to ensure inclusion and equitable outcomes in technology careers.

A future-proof American infrastructure will need investments in a future-proof workforce. A rigorous computer science initiative, which includes rural and underserved communities, will ensure that America has the cyber security, machine learning, AR/VR, and data science professionals that all communities in America will need. Ensuring that those outcomes are equitably distributed and enveloped with responsible ethics training is part of the challenge.