6 acm Inroads 2015 March • Vol. 6 • No. 1 CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE EngageCSEdu: Engaging and Retaining CS1 and CS2 Students Will the Tsunami Lift All Boats? In recent years, interest in studying com- puter science (CS) among U.S. undergradu- ates has grown dramatically. For the sixth consecutive year the number of students enrolling in computing programs has increased, with a jump of 13.4% in 2013 among Taulbee survey respondents [33] (see Figure 1). Indeed, Lazowska, Roberts and Kurose suggest that the field is experi- encing not only a “tsunami” of increasing demand for the major and for its courses [19] but an entire “sea change” that is substantively different from previous enroll- ment cycles [1,28]. Yet at the same time, the represen- tation of women in the major remains remarkably low, in spite of an increasing number of women earning STEM degrees. In 2013, women earned 39% of all bach- elor’s degrees in STEM (Science, Technol- ogy, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, including 42% of all mathematics and statistics degrees. But within computer science, women earned only 13% of the over 11,000 bachelor’s degrees awarded in computer science [18]. (Figure 1 illus- trates the trend from 2004 to 2013.) The representation of Hispanics and African- Americans is no more encouraging. In 2013, African-Americans made up 15% of all undergraduate students in the U.S., but only 3.8% of all bachelor’s degree in CS. Hispanics comprised 14% of all undergraduate degree recipients but only 6.0% of all CS degrees [30,34]. It is clear that despite a surge in enrollment, both women and underrepresented minorities remain significantly underrepresented in computing. While the problem of underrepresenta- tion requires multi-faceted solutions, the first courses in the major are a key intervention point because, as Lazowska and colleagues point out, “introductory courses are particu- larly important ‘attraction waters for mem- bers of underrepresented groups.’” [19]. WHILE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS INTERESTED IN COMPUTER SCIENCE IS RISING, the percentage of women and underrepresented minori- ties remains low. Many things influence whether a student will pursue a degree in computer science, but having a great experience in introductory courses is essen- tial. The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) has partnered with Google to create EngageCSEdu, a comprehensive and growing collection of instructional materials and pedagogical strategies for engaging and retaining undergraduate students in introductory computing courses. This article introduces the key features of EngageCSEdu and the peer-reviewed system for creating and growing the collection. Alvaro E. Monge Beth A. Quinn Cameron L. Fadjo Lecia J. Barker Figure 1. Change in number of male and female CS graduates (Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics)