Immaculate Heart Academy has earned the 2024 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A (CSA). Congratulations to Mrs. Theresa Seymour Dolan ’95 P’26 for achieving this honor once again! IHA has received this award every year since 2018. 

Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award are recognized for expanding girls’ access to AP computer science courses. More than 1,100 institutions were recognized for their work toward equal gender representation and in 2024, IHA was one of 237 recognized nationally in the category of AP Computer Science A.

Mrs. Dolan said Immaculate Heart Academy is honored by this recognition. “I'm so proud of the commitment of our students in their study of computer science and I look forward to seeing these impressive young women pursue and achieve success as computer science and STEM professionals."

The winners represent a broad range of high schools from across the country and around the world. According to Trevor Packer, Head of the AP Program, “Computer science is the source code of our economy and much of the career landscape. In the seven years since we began the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, it’s been heartening to see schools like IHA welcome so many more young women into this vital field.”

AP CSA students learn to design and implement computer programs that solve problems relevant to today’s society. AP Computer Science A, which first debuted in 1988, continues to grow and the number of female exam test takers has increased 81% since 2017, to 25,811 students. Overall, AP computer science course participation has increased 161% since 2017, broadening STEM career opportunities for more students. 

Providing young women with access to computer science courses is critical to ensuring they are represented in the industry's high-paying jobs that will drive innovation in our country. As a Computer Science Female Diversity Award winner, IHA is recognized as an inspiration and model for all U.S. high schools.