Jackson State University received a $50,000 grant on February 17 from State Farm insurance to help lure more students into high-tech careers.
The grant will benefit the university’s Computer Science Department, which plans to use the money to help establish a computational thinking course, a computing innovation lab and a State Farm scholarship program.
“As state and university budgets face cutbacks in tough economic times, State Farm believes it is more important than ever to support our youth and help prepare them for future careers,” said State Farm Systems Manager Rob Wilburn.
The Systems Department at the Bloomington, Ill.,-based company chose to provide Jackson State University with the $50,000 grant as one of its 2009 priority schools.
The overall goal of the grant to Jackson State is to increase the number and preparation of academically talented undergraduates completing the baccalaureate degree in computer science through program enhancement and scholarships. The university also plans to teach the concepts of computational thinking to students in all disciplines.
