About Us
BootUp is dedicated to empowering elementary teachers and students through computer science and creating equitable computer science programs in underrepresented and underserved communities. Since 2015, BootUp has worked with over 300 elementary schools impacting over 150,000 students, providing in-person professional development, coaching, and resources that prepare teachers to facilitate coding projects in Scratch and ScratchJr. Students are inspired through creative and interactive lessons that allow them to explore their personal interests with code.
Our Mission
BootUp trains teachers to implement elementary coding initiatives that empower all students and create equitable access to 21st-century skills.
Our Team
Brenda Bass
Professional Development Facilitator
Heather Cunningham
Professional Development Facilitator
Abby Funabiki
Associate Executive Director
Laurie Green
Professional Development Facilitator
Michael Hanahan
Development Consultant
Stacie Mason
Research and Evaluation
Karen Melara
Marketing Manager
Clark Merkley
Executive Director
Jared O'Leary
Director of Education & Research
McKay Perkins
Professional Development Facilitator
Kelly Powers
Professional Development Facilitator
Our Board of Directors
Lien Diaz
Board Vice Chair and Director of Educational Innovation and Leadership, Constellations Center for Equity in Computing at Georgia Tech
David Evans
Board Secretary and Chief Relationship & Development Officer, Q Financial Design Workshops, LLC
Ari Ioannides
Board Treasurer and Executive Director, Park City Institute
Allison Miller
Senior Improvement Coach, Ed Direction
Todd Ullah, Ed.D
Board Chair and Vice President, National Education Foundation