Recruiting Practices in Informal CS Learning

Introduction: Computer science (CS) lacks representation from people who identify as one or more of the following identities: woman, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Latina/Latino/Latinx, or disabled. We refer to these groups as historically underrepresented groups (HUGs). Informal learning, like CS summer camps and hackathons, can increase interest in K-12 students but still struggles to broaden participation. Objectives: In this study, we examine one source of struggle for informal learning programs: recruiting practices. Methods: Toward the goal of understanding this struggle, we interviewed 14 informal K-12 CS learning programs across a diverse region in the Northwestern United States to understand what recruiting practices are being used. We used a cultural competency lens to examine the variation within recruiting practices and how some practices could lead to broader participation in computing. Results: We identified 18 different recruiting practices used by informal CS learning program organizers. Some programs had similar practices, but subtle differences in implementation that led them to fall at different points on the cultural competence continuum. More culturally competent implementations generally involve reflection on the needs of specific populations that programs were trying to recruit, on why previous recruiting implementations did not work, and on feedback from stakeholders to change their implementations. This is the first article to investigate how the implementation of the recruiting practice determines its cultural competency. Conclusion: Results from this study illuminate some of the problems informal CS programs face in broadening participation in computing and provide insights on how program organizers’ can overcome them. Our work highlights how students or parents access resources, the challenges program organizers encounter, and whether current recruiting practices effectively engage students from HUGs.