Get Started
We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in learning more about Broadening Participation in Computing. Getting started is simple, and there are many ways to make a positive impact on a student's life. Below is a list of frequently asked questions about how to get started with BPC:
- How do I register with the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Portal?
- What Can I do at the BPC Portal?
- How do I use the BPC Digital Library?
- BPC Site Map
How do I register with the Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Portal?
Some services of the BPC portal, such as submitting projects to the Match-Maker profiles or
adding resources to the Digital Libary, require that users Register and Sign In.
Registration is simple, you will use an email address as your user ID, and select a password.
What can I do at the BPC Portal?
Visitors are able to...
- Engage with the BPC Community
Learn about the latest research in computing education and computing diversity; promising practices, K-12 standards, professional opportunities; and innovative resources to revitalize or broaden participation in your course or even your curriculum. - Browse and Search the BPC Digital Library
Search resources via the "Advanced Search"
located on the left navigation menu, or through the "Quick Search" located at the top of each page. - Submit new resources to the BPC Digital Library Database
Registered users can submit resources to the database for others' to discover and use. New entries will be reviewed by the BPC Associate Editors. - Find a Match for your project with our "match-making" service. The service links potential BPC (Broadening Participation in Computing) proposers and new users to more experienced members of the BPC community. It also links currently funded NSF BPC grantees with potential grantees to fill a gap in the existing programs through new collaborative proposals, and enables resource sharing, recruitment, and dissemination opportunities.
- "Bookmark" favorite BPC Digital Library Resources in "My Workspace"
Registered users also have the ability to "Bookmark" favorite resources from the BPC Digital Library, allowing them to be easily recovered later on. Build your own collection of BPC resources today! - Write Comments and Review on others' BPC Digital Library Resources
Review teaching resources that have been submitted by computing educators and program stakeholders, and provide your own comment on the BPC resources to a wider community.
How do I use the BPC Digital Library?
The BPC Digital Library provides outreach, teaching and other educational resources to
the K-12 Education and Higher Education communities whose goal is to increase
participation in computing. We welcome you to learn more about BPC effective practices
and learning tools by browsing the
BPC Digital Library resources. Or use the search features to narrow your search. Here's how:
- Search for Learning Resources.
You can search for learning resources by using either a "Quick Search" or an "Advanced Search". The "Quick Search" bar (found in the header bar of the BPC DL) allows you to immediately search the entire collection of resources associated with Broadening Participation in Computing. For a more tailored search, use the "Advanced Search" to specify the results of your search with greater detail: search for resources within specific disciplines, tailored to ranges of grade levels, and more. Here you will have the choice of expanding your search beyond BPC topics and collections to include all collections in our hosting digital library, the Engineering Pathway. - Select relevant resources from Search Results.
The Search Results provide information about each resource, including their respective discipline, resource type, catalog source, and an excerpt from the resource's description. - View Resource Details and Access Resource direction from provider.
The resource catalog entry linked from the search results provides specific details about the learning resource, as well as a direct link to access it. The BPC DL often does not host the learning resource, so this link may lead away from the BPC Portal page. - Check for Permissions, Copyrights, and Fees.
The majority of the resources in the BPC DLs databases are not owned by the BPC DL. Therefore, all copyrights and permissions are held by the content's original creators. Sometimes copyright and permission information has been provided and is listed in the resource catalog entry. - Use, Link to, or Download Resources.
You can use the BPC DL resources by sharing the URL with students or colleagues, or saving it for personal reference. Animations, videos, and other multimedia items can often be downloaded for use on individual computers or for inclusion into presentation software such as PowerPoint.