Pass a class, get a free laptop.
High schoolers in Monroe County who might fear computer coding now have an incentive to add it to their class schedules.
The program Monroe Computes has promised a free laptop to all high school students in the county who successfully take and pass the advanced placement computer science class from Florida Virtual School.
John Padget, vice chair of the Florida State Board of Education, said the idea is to get kids to take more computer classes that will help them face a future job market that is technology-heavy.
“What this program does, is provide those students who can handle the subject matter further opportunity,” he said.
Linda Britton, technology teacher at Coral Shores High School in Tavernier, says the laptop incentive isn't just for computer nerds. In fact, it is appealing for students of different levels.
“Some of those students were far above the median. Other students are far below the median,” Britton said.
The Monroe Computes laptop incentive program for students is in effect now, for kids wishing to take the AP computer science test in May of 2017.