The ECEP Alliance is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Applications for new state membership in ECEP.  Currently, ECEP consists of 22 states and the territory of Puerto Rico.  Supported by funding from Google.org and NSF, ECEP will be adding seven additional states to the Alliance.  The goal of our alliance is to help states improve equitable capacity for, access to, participation in, and experiences of quality computing education and pursue systemic change at the state level that will result in more diverse students pursuing educational paths in computer science.  Benefits of state membership in ECEP include but are not limited to:

• Participation in a community of practice through monthly virtual meetings of ECEP Alliance state leaders in BPC
• Access to ECEP coaching and mentoring services as well as the ECEP Experts Bureau
• Opportunity to apply for ECEP Co-sponsorships of up to $15,000 to support BPC-related capacity building and systemic change efforts in your state or across states
• Free attendance at the invitation-only ECEP Annual Summit for state team members including travel and lodging
• The opportunity to participate in ECEP’s Scaling Inclusive Pedagogy (ScIP) project through facilitator training for the online “Strategies for Effective and Inclusive CS Teaching” course

Both states which have made significant progress toward BPC as well as those who are just beginning but have a strong understanding of their current strengths and areas in need of improvement are encouraged to apply. 

Interested states must submit a membership application.  Applications and all accompanying materials are due no later than Tuesday, February 21st, 5pm ET.  A mandatory webinar for potential applicants will be held on January 31, from 1-2 pm ET.  Please register for the webinar.  A minimum of one person from your state must attend.  Only one application from each state will be considered. States will be notified by March 10th of their status.