The Pflugerville ISD board of trustees approved the creation of a Computer Science Academy of Innovation at its regular meeting Thursday night. The academy will be located at Pflguerville’s Connally High School and will provide program participants with a curriculum including in-demand computer technology training in areas such as cybersecurity, game design and programming. “Our students in the Academy will be prepared for success in postsecondary education and the global marketplace,” PfISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alex Torrez said in a statement. “We are designing this by working directly with industry, incorporating best practices and leading-edge technology. This will give our students tremendous exposure to real-world, real-life situations. Additionally, we are integrating these innovative courses with language arts and social studies from PfISD’s nationally-recognized curriculum.” The district has partnered with IBM to launch the program and to help provide students with applied educational opportunities. As students progress through the four-year academy, IBM will offer students a capstone internship or lab-based practicum their senior year. Current seniors enrolled in computer science and video game design classes are eligible to apply for IBM internships in spring 2017. Students who complete the program will graduate with a diploma along with a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) endorsement and a Business and Technology endorsement. The Computer Science Academy of Innovation is slated to begin fall 2017.