SITE Awards 2024 honors 3 Teachers

Over 100 students, staff, faculty, teachers, administrators, families, and community members joined to celebrate three local K-12 computer science teachers for the Snap Inc. Institute for Technology & Education’s (SITE) 2nd annual Excellence in Computer Science Awards held at the Innovation and Instruction building at CSUDH campus. 

The three winners submitted exemplary lesson plans and applications that aligned with SITE’s Mission and Vision, and demonstrated their commitment to joyful, engaging, and equitable computer science education.

The College of Education and the university celebrated their outstanding work and accomplishments. 

• Alex Lara (96th St. STEAM Academy) | Elementary teacher
• Dr. Chibuzor Ojinna (Jessie E. Nelson Academy) | Middle school teacher
• Maria Camarena (Maywood Center for Enriched Studies) | High school teacher

Mike Karlin, Assistant Professor, Liberal Studies, STEM Director, Snap Inc. Institute for Technology & Education (SITE), says given computer science’s history as an exclusionary field, only available to select students, it was heartening and hopeful to see their impressive work.

“We absolutely love the innovative work these teachers are doing to expand computer science access and help ensure all of our local students have access to high-quality,” Karlin says. “It's relevant computer science experiences like this that translates into their classrooms.”

For more information about College of Education’s SITE program, visit, www.csudh.edu/coe/centers-partnerships/site/ or check out their youtube video here.