Houston Community College (HCC) is about to become one of the first institutions of higher learning in the nation to use Apple’s newly released Swift curriculum, an educational model that will provide the tools to teach future app developers how to work in the thriving iOS community.
The official announcement of the new HCC/Apple partnership took place Wednesday, May 24 in downtown Houston Texas at the Houston Public Library’s Julia Ideson Building.
Speakers at the event included HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado and Board Chair Eva Laredo; Apple’s Vice President of Environment and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson; Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Bob Harvey, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership.
The goal of this initiative is to shorten the gap between computer science training for minorities and women throughout the country and to provide the latest iOS training for developers.
A recent study cited Houston as one of 19 world knowledge capitals because of the concentration of ideas and innovation in the city. Maldonado describes this alliance between HCC and Apple as one that brings innovation to the classroom.
“This partnership is one that will benefit our community by making computer coding easier to understand while teaching critical thinking and problem solving, skills that are transferable across platforms.” Maldonado says. “It will benefit Apple by providing developers who are trained specifically for the needs of the iOS community.”
At the announcement, dignitaries unveiled information on how community members can access this academic program and become future app developers.
About HCC
Houston Community College (HCC) is composed of 15 Centers of Excellence and numerous satellite centers that serve the diverse communities in the Greater Houston area by preparing individuals to live and work in an increasingly international and technological society. HCC is one of the country’s largest singly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certificates, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities. To learn more, visit www.hccs.edu.