SMLS Earns AP Computer Science Principles Female Diversity Award

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School (SMLS) continues to lead the way in creating opportunities, opening doors and pushing boundaries for young women through its powerful girls-first approach to education.

The College Board AP® recently awarded SMLS with their Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). SMLS earned this recognition because of its expanded access to AP computer science courses for female students in their communities.

 

During the 2023-24 school year, 1,153 institutions worldwide achieved an AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for CSA, CSP or both courses. SMLS was one of only 847 recognized for improving female representation in AP CSP, and the only Ontario-based, CAIS-accredited school to have achieved this award in 2023-24.

 

Providing young women with access to computer science courses is necessary to ensure gender equity in the industry’s high-paying jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and representation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for computer and mathematical occupations was $104,200 in 2023. However, women represent just 26.9% of the 6.5 million people employed in the same fields.

 

According to College Board research, female students who take AP CSP in high school are more than five times as likely to major in computer science in college, compared to female students of similar background and academic preparation who didn’t take AP CSP. The study also finds AP Computer Science Principles students are nearly twice as likely to enroll in AP Computer Science A (CSA), and that for most students, AP CSP serves as a stepping stone to other advanced AP STEM coursework.

 

SMLS is proud to give young women an opportunity to explore all subjects freely, including those where girls are typically underrepresented. Over the past decade, the majority of SMLS graduates have gone on to study in STEM-related fields after leaving our secondary school program. 

These are fields, which, on average, lead to better outcomes in the labour market including employment, job matching, and earnings. These are also fields where women are typically underrepresented. By giving young women the opportunity to study and advance in these subjects, they are not only finding their passions, they are also leveraging them and using them to get a leg up in today’s competitive world. 

The women who founded SMLS in 1891 wove the DNA of women “can and will” into the fabric of our school, and challenging young women to seek out their passions and pursue them fearlessly remains the school’s distinct advantage.