Hi Code.org Team!

My name is Izzy Lapidus and I'm a junior at Barnard College majoring in Computing, Design, and Pedagogy—a special major I created myself! My second ever time coding in my whole life was in my junior year of high school at LaGuardia Arts High School in NYC where I took AP Computer Science Principles—we used code.org for all of our curriculum! A few years later, after participating in Kode With Klossy, I became extremely passionate about computer science education! I've devoted my academic and career pursuits towards studying the makeup of the ideal computer science learning environment, one that I believe embraces every student's unique social identity! I'm particularly interested in rewriting the narrative that the tech community is a space for cis white men, and showing the public (particularly kids!) who do NOT hold this social identity that they are absolutely wanted and needed in STEM.

I'm super involved with all things CS/STEM at Barnard and would love to collaborate on something with your team for CS Education Week in December! I have close connections with Professor Rebecca Wright, the Director of Barnard's CS Program, along with our state-of-the-art Computational Science Center that hosts TONS of awesome workshops to get our student body more technologically literate!

I've also held fellowships and internships at Barnard's Athena Center for Leadership where I've launched projects surrounding the CS, STEM, and entrepreneurial community at Barnard. I've also recently be selected to join our Center for Engaged Pedagogy's Student Advisory Committee, along with our Student Government Association's Academic Affairs Committee, where I'll have the opportunity to sit on Barnard's Committee on Instruction.

My interests lie at the intersection of pedagogy and computer science, and I would absolutely LOVE to partner with code.org for CS Ed Week! Please let me know if this is something your team would be interested in.

I am available by email at [email protected] or text at 718-877-6123. It would be amazing to work together!

If you're interested in learning more about me, please feel free to check out my website at www.izzylapidus.com.

Thank ya'll so much for reading all this and I eagerly await your response!

All the best, Izzy Lapidus