École Handsworth Secondary
North Vancouver School District
Computer Science


General Program Description​

Everybody in this country should have a basic understanding of how everyday technology works. Especially when considering that 90% of Canadian households have a smart phone and 89% are connected to the internet (According to the CRTC, and the Communication Services of Canadian Households Report). By 2025, it is projected that over 88% of all Canadians will have a smartphone as both younger children and older seniors’ adoption rates have been steadily increasing year over year. 

Software (coding courses) Development courses teach students how to approach projects by way of incremental and iterative design processes that embraces logical (stepwise) thinking like a computer. Learning how to program a computer teaches students how to breakdown complicated problems into simple (algorithms) steps that a machine can follow. Hardware (engineering) specialist courses focus on understanding how devices work, components are made and are put together. Spatial acuity and material awareness skills underpin these projects. Media Design and Development courses enrich students’ understanding of art, technology, and culture. Students will develop the software and design skills needed to be successful in technology and creative industries. 

Just as learning English has become compulsory in today’s education system, the day will come, not far off from today, where the learning of a second language (coding) will be mandatory too. Computers are everywhere. Every industry has been turned on its head (impacted) by the technology it uses and the software that commands it. 

Everyone depends on technology to bank, communicate, travel, entertain, and learn, but the majority of the population does not know how that technology works. It is not good enough to be exposed to technology as all jobs in the future will require some understanding of how to build, operate and maintain it. The fact is that there are not enough people who are trained and have the skills necessary in today’s job markets. Currently 1 million of the best jobs may go unfilled in North America (recruiting overseas) as there are not enough skilled people (locally) to fill them. 

The reality is that you do not need to be a genius to know how to operate the technology we use, just determined. The Computer Science Majors of today will revolutionize our world tomorrow. Together, Let’s Build Stuff…and Make Tomorrow Happen…​

Available Courses:

  • Information and Communication Technology 9
  • Web Development 10
  • Computer Studies 10
  • Computer Science 11
  • Computer Science 12
  • AP Computer Science Principles (Survey Course: Technology)
  • AP Computer Science A Course (Advanced Java)
  • Media Design 11/12 
  • Digital Media Development 10-12 (Yearbook)​
For detailed information on the above courses, please see our latest course programming guide.