Discover a New Way of Learning with We Lead CS
We Lead CS offers personalized and interactive learning experiences to help students achieve their career goals. Explore our virtual computer science career academy and start your journey with us today!
the we lead cs story
1 of the 5 Most Innovative Ideas in the Nation
Kentucky General Assembly Scales Innovation Statewide
Kentucky General Assembly Scales Innovation Statewide
In its 2020 Rural Tech Project, the U.S. Department of Education selected iLEAD Academy's idea to create a virtual career academy as 1 of the 5 most innovative ideas in the nation to expand rural students' access to computer science education.
Kentucky General Assembly Scales Innovation Statewide
Kentucky General Assembly Scales Innovation Statewide
Kentucky General Assembly Scales Innovation Statewide
In 2022, the Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 680 to scale iLEAD Academy's innovation statewide. They established We Lead CS to "increase the Commonwealth's competitiveness in the technology and computing employment sector."
Now a National Leader in Work Based Learning
Kentucky General Assembly Scales Innovation Statewide
Now a National Leader in Work Based Learning
In 2023, the U. S. Department of Education asked iLEAD Academy to lead yet again. A team of employers in the INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Chamber is creating a 4-year, virtual work based learning program for We Lead CS.
How we know it works
Two Year Pilot
In our pilot for the U.S. Department of Education's Rural Tech Project, we served 26 students from 5 Kentucky counties. In the first year, 13 students took Intro to Computer Programming for high school credit. Ten of the 13 students returned for the second year, and 13 new students enrolled in the second year to begin the program.
63 hours of college credit
The 10 students who completed two years of the program earned a combined 63 hours of college credit in two dual credit courses: Digital Literacy and Computational Thinking.
IC3 Industry Certifications
Seven of the 10 students who completed two years earned IC3 Digital Literacy certification, which is a global benchmark demonstrating basic literacy in operating systems, hardware, software, and networks to employers.
Student Satisfaction
We continuously survey students who learn virtually in We Lead CS courses to learn what they like and don't like. Universally, students say what they like the most about We Lead CS is the teacher - how accessible he is to them for help and support. They also like to learn at their own pace and are building confidence in their ability to code. Unreliable internet and learning to manage their time and stay focused are their biggest challenges. Our teachers use student feedback to adapt their teaching and coaching and to understand how the We Lead CS learning experience can best meet students' needs.