TechPrep is a Facebook-led initiative, supported by McKinsey & Company and created for parents, guardians and learners who want to understand more about computer science (CS) and programming. It’s a collection of fun and interesting information, resources and videos tailored to a variety of ages and experience levels.
We created TechPrep in response to our understanding, supported by a research study, about the participation of underrepresented minorities in programming careers. We found:
Black and Hispanic learners had great self-confidence about their own potential despite their underrepresentation in the industry.
- 50% of Blacks and 42% of Hispanics say they would be good at working with computers, compared to 35% of Whites and 35% of Asians.
However, a majority of parents say they do not know how to help their child pursue computer science.
- In aggregate, 77% of parents/guardians say they do not know how to help their child pursue studying computer science.
- This percentage increases to approximately 83% for lower income and non-college graduate parents/guardians.
Lower awareness of CS in Blacks and Hispanics is driven by lower access to both people and programs, compared to Whites and Asians, and is a major driver of Black and Hispanic drop-off when pursuing programming as a career path.
Our goal is to spur interest in CS and programming and motivate people from all backgrounds to pursue careers in tech. We believe through exposure and access, parents, guardians, and other influencers can enable their children and learners can gain the skills they need to have a technical career.