Stories

Grant: Rural Tech Project

The Rural Tech Project is a $600,000 challenge to advance rural technology education and prepare students for the careers of today and tomorrow. The U.S. Department of Education invites high schools and local educational agencies to propose technology education programs that use competency-based distance learning.

Quick facts:

Who should enter: The challenge is open to any publicly funded school or local educational agency serving students in grades 9-12 in rural communities. “Rural” is broadly defined as a non-urban, non-suburban area. An area may be considered rural based on its population density and/or distance from suburban or urban hubs. See the eligibility criteria for further guidance.
$600,000 in cash prizes: Up to five finalists will be selected to receive an equal share of the $500,000 Phase 1 cash prize pool. At the conclusion of program implementation, one grand-prize winner will receive an additional $100,000.
Two years of ongoing support: From January 2021 through August 2023, finalists will have on-the-ground assistance, expert mentorship, and access to virtual resources as they plan, run, refine, and report on their programs.
Deadline: Program proposals are due Oct. 8.

Click Here for More Information About the Project

Join Us On Facebook!

CSTA-Arizona is excited to launch our very own Facebook Community Page! We are launching this group to address a few needs for the CSTA-Arizona community We hope this group will allow our community to:

Share events / resources / opportunities directly with other members and in a timely manner
Create discussions and dialogues between members & the community, creating stronger regional connections
Make it easier to see newsletters and events, especially for organizations or community members who aren't on our mailing list
Make it easier to celebrate successes and amplify voices from teachers in our community

We hope you'll join the group and use it as a resource to connect with a community of CS Educators, especially in our new virtual reality. Click Here to Join the Page!

August Community Call

CSTA-Arizona hosted our August Community Call on 8/11.

Click to read more or watch the recording, if you were unable to attend.

PD Opportunity: Machine Learning with PopFizz

This course addresses the content and pedagogical challenges of teaching computer science with an emphasis on culturally responsive teaching practices.

Designed to help educators prepare to teach computer science, attendees will explore algorithmic biases, and learn about artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML). The course also has a hands-on coding component where the attendees will use HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Google’s Teachable Machine to train an AI and share it with the world.

Anyone can sign up for the course at no cost. Enrollment closes on August 26th!

More information & enrollment information is available below

Webinar: Computing While Black

CS for All Teachers has launched a series of webinars over the summer titled Computing While Black.

The CS community and others joined a roundtable discussion about best practices for inclusion and equity in computer science education. We delved into how the Black Lives Matter movement has impacted students that will be entering and continuing in CS educational spaces (and schools) and identified necessary supports to facilitate high-quality instruction for diverse populations. We also identified how teachers can change CS pedagogy to meet the needs of Black students as well as how they can work collaboratively to dismantle the patriarchal white-centered mindsets that plague the tech industry and society writ large. Though this language may have made some uncomfortable (i.e., “patriarchal” and “white-centered”), we encouraged people to join this webinar for an open, honest dialogue about how we can best teach all in our classes, but especially our Black students.

Resources & recordings are available from previous webinars, and more webinars from this series may be made available in the future. Click below for more information.

Webinar: NCWIT Conversations for Change

Over the summer, the National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT) hosted an online leadership series titled Conversations for Change, aiming to further efforts in creating inclusive cultures for underrepresented groups in computing. Speakers include Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr Ruha Benjamin, Dr Colleen Lewis, and others. More information about the conference is available at www.ncwit.org/conversations.

All of the videos from this series are posted online for later viewing. Click here to watch all of the videos from this series.

CSforEL District Opportunity

Computer science is the fastest growing subject in the US, yet English learners are dramatically underrepresented in these courses. CSforEL is a new 4-year research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, to attract, retain and engage English learners (EL) in AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) in Arizona, New Mexico and San Diego. We are currently looking for district and school level participation in the CSforEL project in terms of relationship and partnership building, data gathering efforts, and conversation with our Evaluation Team Leads to help determine treatment and control schools and to identify schools and teachers to participate in our first PD cohort during the 2021-2022 school year. If you are interested in more information about the CSforEL project, please contact Erika C. Burt at erika.burt@csteachers.org. More information about this opportunity is below

Partner Events - Summer Opportunities

Arizona is fortunate to have a strong community of teacher-led organizations that support teacher professional development. These organizations include:

Click below for more information about summer PD opportunities facilitated by these teacher-led organizations.

CSTA+ Benefit - Pluralsight Online Courses

As a CSTA+ member, you have access to Pluralsight, which has dozens of free video-based PD courses for CSTA members! All CSTA+ members can redeem a one-year limited library Pluralsight Skills benefit through the CSTA+ resource portal. You’ll receive access to over 30 software development courses that teach computer science concepts and programming skills. These hand-selected courses will help you develop the skills needed to pass national computer science certification exams and bring the concepts to life in the classroom.

Click below for a three-minute video on how to access the benefits from your CSTA+ login page.

If you're not a CSTA+ member, more information about this program and it's benefits are available here.

CSFirst Summer PD

CS First is Google's free, introductory computer science program for grades 4-8 (ages 9-14). This video-based curriculum teaches students foundational CS, problem-solving and collaboration skills through themes related to students’ interests. CS First can be used within classrooms, or as part of after-school programs in schools, libraries, or community spaces. Learn how to use this free computer science grades 4-8 curriculum that makes coding easy to teach and fun to learn on Scratch. No experience necessary for students or teachers.

Read below to learn more about this program and sign up for one of several summer workshops.

CSforEL Teacher Leaders

Computer science is the fastest growing subject in the US, yet English learners are dramatically under-represented in these courses. CSforEL is a new 4-year research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, to attract, retain and engage English learners (EL) in AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). We seek CSforEL teacher leaders who will help us identify and test strategies and develop lessons and materials that effectively support ELs in CSP during our project’s pilot year (2020-21). We will rely on their expertise to develop the professional development in future project years.

Click below to learn more about this program

Inclusive STEM & CS Summit

The Inclusive STEM & CS Summit aims to provide quality professional development for educators focused on pedagogy and instruction in STEM and computer science.

100% of the proceeds of The Inclusive STEM & CS Summit will be donated to organizations that support STEAM/CS programs, such as Black Girls Who Code, Indigenous STEAM/AISES, LatinoSTEM, APIA Scholars.

The event takes place on June 19th & 20th. Schedule & Registration Information Below

New CS education courses this summer!

The course for Block-based Educational Programming Language for Educators is developed to learn the Scratch programming, and the Text-based course is for learning about Python.

Code.org At-Home Resources

We are facing an incredibly challenging time with the global outbreak of COVID-19, grappling with growing concerns over health, our communities, and the economy. Safety measures have brought widespread school closures across the country.

We want to support teachers, students, and families in any way we can. Below is a set of resources to help your student learn computer science at home.

Click Here to Access Resources

NCWIT At-Home Resources

14 Computing-related Activities to Do From Home

As COVID-19 has led schools across the country to transition to at-home learning, educators, parents, and caregivers are on the lookout for accessible activities to keep kids’ minds active and engaged. Luckily, there are many ways to translate computing education from the classroom to the home setting. Below is a sampling of ways that adults — regardless of skill level — can help K-12 students continue to explore pathways to tech careers and grow computational skills. These ideas aren’t just for kids, though. Parents and educators who want to learn something new can also get in on the action! Click below to see the 14 activities you can do at home!

CSTA At-Home Resources

With the outbreak of COVID-19, at CSTA we know that many of our members will be supporting their students remotely. Teaching CS is already difficult, and moving to a virtual environment can be challenging, so we have compiled a list of resources to help teachers support their students during this trying time. We encourage you to keep visiting this page for the most up-to-date resources:

Click Here to Access the Resources

Girls Who Code At-Home Resources

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Girls Who Code is proud to launch Girls Who Code at Home, a weekly series of resources to keep up your learning at home, and ideas on how to stay busy and—most importantly—brave.

Download Girls Who Code at Home Activities

Continue reading to see more at-home resources from Girls Who Code

CS Standards Implementation Resources

Arizona released K-12 Computer Science Standards in October 2018 and two options for Computer Science endorsement for K-12 teachers. To support the implementation of these standards, we are excited to present a Computer Science Implementation Guidance document and a one-page document that clearly outlines the requirements for PreK-8 and 9-12 computer science educators. Click Read More to view these documents & learn more about these resources.

CSTA PD Week-Save the Date

CSTA AZ is coming this summer to ASU Fulton School of Engineering. We have confirmed many providers and working on adding more. Registration will open in March. Click Read more for details.

Partner Event: C&I and IT Leadership Symposium 2020

The symposium is a one-day event that will bring together educational leaders from across the state of Arizona to explore the challenges and share the successes that exist between Teaching, Learning, & IT.

Friday, March 6, 2020 from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM MST

Dysart Unified School District
15802 North Parkview Place,
Surprise Az, AZ 85374

Partner Event: eSports 2020 Part II

This event is for educators who are interested in learning and sharing ways to begin or enhance an esports program and with students. Join us for meaningful educator-led PD and hands-on learning/ playing fun! $15 per person

CSPD Funding available

Public Schools that offer instruction in grades 9 through 12 AND Public Schools that do not currently provide high school computer science instruction. The grant application shall prioritize awards to eligible public schools that have at least sixty percent of students enrolled who are eligible for free and reduced-priced lunches under the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Acts and are Rural schools.

CS for ELL Students

Computer science is the fastest growing subject in the US, yet English learners are dramatically under-represented in these courses. CSforEL is a new, 4 year research project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, to attract, retain and engage English learners (EL) in AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) in Arizona, New Mexico and San Diego. We are currently seeking districts to participate in our first cohort for the 2020-21 school year. Click below for more information.

CS Awesome Summer Virtual Sessions

CS Awesome is a new free curriculum from the Mobile CSP team for the AP CS A Java course that follows the 2019 College Board AP CSA units and learning objectives. We are applying to become an official provider for AP CSA in 2020. The curriculum is available for free on based on Barb Ericson's Java Review course on Runestone Academy.

The goal of the CS Awesome curriculum is to provide an interactive curriculum for students that uses frequent, small practice problems that allow students to incrementally build their Java programming skills. The curriculum is provided online through an e-book and includes many opportunities for creativity and collaboration with other students. The course was designed to engage all students and support students transitioning from a Computer Science Principles (CSP) course to CSA.

Click below for more information about summer opportunities. If you are a teacher transitioning from teaching AP CSP to AP CSA and/or will you be teaching AP CS A for the first time in 2019 or 2020, then we have scholarships available for you to attend our PD for FREE, in exchange for participating in our research project.

Amazon Future Engineer + BootUp Elementary CS Initiative

BootUp Teams with Amazon Future Engineer to Bring Computer Science to More Than 1,000 Elementary Schools

Accepting Applications from Schools Districts to be Part of the Amazon Future Engineer + BootUp Elementary Computer Science Initiative

The Amazon Future Engineer sponsorship funds BootUp’s ongoing, onsite professional development to elementary teachers. BootUp prepares teachers to facilitate open-ended coding projects in the free platforms Scratch and ScratchJr. Teachers learn how to engage students to create and share interactive stories, animations, games, art, music, and more through problem-solving and other fundamental computer science practices. BootUp programs require no prior coding experience and include a free, interest-driven curricula with more than 70 classroom projects.

APPLY TODAY at www.afebootup.smapply.org.

March CSTA Maricopa Meet Up

CSTA AZ will be having monthly meet ups the first Saturday of each month at the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall. The focus for March is Scratch basics, MicroBits and best practices. Networking and food are always free!!

Professional Development Survey

As districts begin planning and budgeting around professional development for the 2020-21 school year, it is important to have your feedback included in the process. The Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent has worked collaboratively with teacher support organizations to develop a short anonymous survey for educators. Your feedback from this survey will be shared with districts and professional development providers across Arizona so that PD can be developed and offered based on your ideas and needs. We want to hear your voice and opinions about professional development opportunities.

CSTA-AZ January Community Call

The CSTA-AZ January Community call took place on January 28th. Topics include:

A shared reflection of current progress on CSTA chapter rubric
A shared celebration of new CSTA AZ board
Regional & Partner Updates

Click Here for the agenda from this call or click below.

Click Here for a recording of this call.

Our next community call will be February 25th.

CSTA 2020 Scholarships Now Open!

Registration for the 2020 CSTA Annual Conference is open, and scholarships are being offered to support teachers who can not otherwise attend the CSTA conference due to funding limitations. These scholarships are available thanks to the generous support of our partners.

What to expect: The application is short, requiring 15–30 minutes to complete. It requests basic information about you and your teaching background, characteristics of the students you teach, and two short essay questions (less than 250 words each):

Why do you want to attend the conference?
How will attending the conference impact your teaching practice?

For more information visit the webpage here.

Start a Girls Go Cyberstart Club!

Do you know a school in your community that could benefit from a free, fun cyber program?

High school girls are discovering their talent for cybersecurity and computer science with the Girls Go CyberStart competition. Made up of a series of digital challenges, Girl Go CyberStart empowers girls to work together to become the next leaders in cybersecurity and help protect the web. Boys can also discover their interest and learn with CyberStart Game. Clubs that have five girls who solve 5 challenges will qualify for Stage 2 Game and will earn additional non-competition Game licenses for boys or other girls in their school so everyone in the classroom can learn ethical hacking, programming and forensics for free!

Registration is open until February 14^th so students and teachers, register now and start playing today! There are cash prizes for girls and schools, don’t miss out! https://www.girlsgocyberstart.org

Code.org Summer Workshops

Whether you are new to teaching computer science (CS) or have previous experience, the Code.org Professional Learning Program prepares you to teach with confidence and offers year-round support. No CS experience is needed!

Take part in the program to explore the curriculum and learning tools, practice new teaching strategies, discuss classroom management, and build a community of teachers. Over 90% of attendees would recommend our program to another teacher. Scholarships and discounts are available in many regions.

Apply to be a Microsoft TEALS School!

The Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools) Program helps high schools create sustainable computer science (CS) programs. TEALS is happy to announce that we are currently accepting partner school applications for the 2020-2021 school year! (The deadline is February 14th.) Visit Microsoft.com/TEALS to learn more.

Start a Girls Who Code Club

We are proud to partner with Girls Who Code to provide free, flexible and inclusive CS opportunities all across our community, and would love for your school to host a Club!

Girls Who Code Clubs provide completely FREE plug-and-play curriculum and resources for educators to encourage girls’ participation in STEM as they prepare for college and career. In each Club, 3rd-5th and 6th-12th grade girls build important life skills as they join a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models and learn how to use computer science to positively impact their community. Students also learn about inspiring female role models in tech to help increase female representation in our STEM programming.

New CS Educator Courses at ASU

In response to the new Arizona CS education endorsement, Arizona State University is offering an online 7 week, 3 credit course “Introduction to Computer Science for Educators.” The course is now open for enrollment for spring semester 2020, Session B (the class starts March 16). As an introductory course, it is great for educators who are new to CS education, and for teachers seeking course credit toward the CS endorsement. Click Here for a Link to the Course Flyer

Endorsement information

Computer Science Education Week | December 9th-15th

Every day of this week, we are hosting fieldtrips that will feature diverse and inclusive topics from leaders in the industry as well as workshops.

CSTA-Arizona Board Elections

Our CSTA-AZ board member election is underway! Click here to read more about the elections

SheTech Explorer Day

SheTech Explorer Day (www.shetechexplorer.com) is a hands-on tech conference for high school girls 9th through 12th grade on March 4th 2020. This day-long event will include hands-on workshops in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Schools can register teams of up to 9 students at the SheTech website: http://shetechexplorer.com/arizona/

November Community Updates

Updates from the Computer Science community in Arizona from our November 19th Community Call (click here for agenda):

Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS School Applications Now Open
New #CSK8 Podcast Now Available
AZ STEM Collaborative Unconference
CSforAll Teachers CSEd Week Webinar
Google CSFirst Hour of Code Webinar

Click 'Read More' to see information about each of these programs

CSTA 2020 Conference

There is a whole community of computer science educators just like you out there. If you are looking for inspiration, for connection, and for a chance to be rejuvenated, join us at CSTA 2020, set for July 13 - 14, 2020. While we all won’t be meeting together in Arlington this year, we’re excited to still put on the same conference you’ve come to love — created by teachers, for teachers.

CSTA's Annual Conference is a chance for computer science teachers to come together for learning, networking, and fun. We are a community of educators who are changing the lives of students every day in our classrooms. We are eager to share our knowledge and to learn from one another.

Our two-day virtual conference has over 100 sessions of education to broaden your knowledge of computer science education, inspirational keynotes and sessions to reinvigorate your passion for teaching, and countless moments of fun and connection along the way. If you are looking for new and exciting ways to engage with your students in your classroom, look no further than CSTA 2020. You don't want to miss out on this great experience.

Read More for more information about the conference and how to register!

CSTA-AZ Fall Summit

CSTA-Arizona held it's 2019 Fall Summit in Prescott, Arizona on November 2nd. Educators from all over Arizona convened to attend sessions on Scratch, LocoRobo, p5js, Artificial Intelligence, and to plan for more local & community meetups in the four Arizona Regions.

American Computer Science League

The American Computer Science League (ACSL) has sponsored computer science
contests since 1978. The contests are divided into divisions (Senior,
Intermediate, Junior, Classroom and Elementary) to appeal to a wide range of
student experience. The Senior, Intermediate and Junior Divisions include
computer science topics and coding. The Classroom and Elementary Divisions
do not require coding. ACSL is offering its 2018-19 contest question/solution set to CSTA teachers
who register for the first time.

October Community Updates

Updates from the Computer Science community in Arizona from our September 24th Community Call:

AzTEA Fall Conference
Elementary Professional Development
Dept of Education Webinars
Code.org CS Fundamentals Workshops
Native American Code Writers Program
iKidsCode Day of Learning
ASTA Fall Conference

Click 'Read More' to see information about each of these programs

CSEdCon & State of Computer Science

Code.org, CSforAll, and CSTA convened over 400 regional and international partners, policymakers, and district representatives for the first ever Global CS Education Conference (CSEdCon). Representatives from CSTA-Arizona, the Arizona Department of Education, and several districts across Arizona including Yuma and Prescott attended this event. The 2019 State of Computer Science Report was also released at this event - here's the progress Arizona has made in Computer Science Education

Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15th through October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. Here are several resources to share with students connecting students with Hispanic heritage to Computer Science & other STEM fields.

Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards honors Latino high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in five categories: Business & Entrepreneurship, Community Service, Education, Healthcare & Science, Media & Entertainment, and Technology & Engineering. Recipients are selected in each category and receive a grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue. Application deadline is December 6th, 2020.
CSforSF Cultural Heritage Resources - Posters, Lessons, Videos, & other resources showing Latinx influencers in Computer Science
Latina Girls Code: Provides technology exposure and resources for Latinas ages 7-17.
Latinas in STEM: Spreads awareness about STEM and encourages middle and high school Latinas, especially within underserved communities, to consider pursuing a STEM career.
SHPE Jr. Chapters: The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) program provides high school students with opportunities to participate in hands-on STEM activities, receive mentorship, and experience STEM firsthand at a participating local university or museum.
TECHNOLOchicas: Designed to raise awareness among young Latinas and their families about opportunities and careers in technology.

Aspirations in Computing Educator Award

NCWIT wants to recognize YOU for the incredible support and encouragement you give to your all of your students. When you endorse a high school applicant this year, you are then eligible to apply for the Educator Award!

Award for Aspirations in Computing for HS Students

NCWIT is pleased to announce that the Award for Aspirations in Computing is now accepting high school students’ applications! Help us spread the word to your students and grow this amazing community for women in tech!

CSTA AZ Board Nominations

If you are interested in serving on the CSTA-Arizona Board, please consider nominating yourself (or another person) for our upcoming CSTA-Arizona Board Elections.

NCWIT Awards Ceremony

Arizona State University's Fulton School of Engineering hosted the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Awards Ceremony for young women in computing. Click through to see more information about the event and photos

AZ Educators - CSTA and ISTE Want Your Feedback on New CS Standards

CSTA and ISTE have launched an initiative to revise CS standards. As CS teachers, your input is valuable to this process. Keep reading to learn how you can provide feedback.

CSTA-AZ Fall Meetup 2018

CSTA-AZ held its first Fall Professional Development Summit for Arizona Computer Science teachers. Sessions were held on topics such as VEX Robotics, equitable recruiting & retention strategies, active learning in Computer Science, and the CyberPatriot competition.

Arizona Adopts Computer Science Standards!

On October 22, 2018, Arizona's State Board of Education voted to adopt new K-12 Computer Science Standards. The process to develop new Computer Science Standards began in January 2017. Since that time, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has collected public feedback on existing standards and convened working groups of educators, content experts, community members, and parents to create new standards. Click here to download Arizona's Computer Science Standards.