Catholic Memorial High School (CMH) has been honored with the Computer Science Female Diversity Award from the Advanced Placement (AP) College Board program. Catholic Memorial was recognized for expanding young women’s access to STEM curriculum and specifically, the AP Computer Science Principles course. Catholic Memorial is one of just 847 schools nationwide to receive the award.
The AP program established the award to acknowledge the exceptional schools that work to close the female representation gap in computer science. According to the AP program’s research, female students who take AP computer science are more likely to major in computer science in college compared to female students of similar backgrounds and academic preparation.
Catholic Memorial was recognized as a leader in expanding female students’ opportunities in the STEM fields. From the 2022-23 to 2023-24 school year, CMH saw the female population of students enrolling in STEM courses double and the population of female students taking Computer Science courses quadrupled. This increase was attributed to additional classes offered in computer science and biomedical science, and also because of the success of students taking those courses.
“Catholic Memorial has put a strong emphasis on investing in 21st century curriculum so our students find success in school and career. Our Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and STEM classes through our Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum open doors for students today and in careers of the future,” said Donna Bembenek, CMH President. “The passion that our faculty and administration have for encouraging and guiding our students to achieve is second to none. That enthusiasm and momentum in the classroom is infectious; that atmosphere motivates our students to excel at CMH. Our students are excited about learning and applying their knowledge in the real world. This award is certainly fitting to receive during Women’s History Month. We are honored to be recognized and excited about the future for all of our students and the historical achievements they can make in the STEM fields.”
“Catholic Memorial’s leadership in creating more access to computer science courses is helping prepare more young women for the high-paying, in-demand jobs of the future,” said Trevor Packer, Head of the Advanced Placement Program. “It is giving young women the opportunity to solve some of society’s greatest challenges.”
Catholic Memorial is a fully certified Project Lead the Way School and offers advanced courses in both Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB).