As 2016 comes to a close, we have good news to report from last week! The U.S. Senate passed the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act and it was approved unanimously by the U.S. House on the last day before Congress’s adjournment. This important legislation will be signed by the President shortly, and we thank him as well as U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), their colleagues on the House Science Committee who worked to develop this compromise bill, and every congressional member who supported this innovation bill. The computer science provision of this soon-to-be-law authorizes the National Science Foundation “to provide grants to improve computer science education in K-12 schools. This includes research into models of pre-service preparation for teachers who will teach computer science and computational thinking, professional development, tools and models for teaching and learning aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion, and high-quality learning opportunities with an emphasis on rural and tribal schools.” In a year where you all made important contributions to help secure dedicated funding for computer science education in K-12 schools, the President’s signature on this bill will be a small win in our collective effort to provide the necessary resources for our nation’s teachers who are providing this critical foundational skill to students. Although we celebrate this victory, we're still a long way from winning federal funding that goes beyond research to invest directly in expanding K-12 computer science in U.S. schools. Please support this initiative by signing this petition and passing it along.