The school year may have just begun, but I’m sure many of you are already looking forward to the long weekend that Labor Day brings. Nothing like a three-day weekend to reset from all the insanity of new students, courses, and curriculums.
I have two quick requests for you:
Make sure to keep yourCSTA profileup-to-date with a personal email address! Every year, we get teachers who move schools, lose access to their old school’s email, and suddenly can’t get into their CSTA member account. Don’t let that be you!
Do something for yourself this Labor Day! Get outside and enjoy the last days of summer, connect with your union reps, or melt into the couch with that book you’ve been meaning to read. You deserve it.
At CSTA, we have a lot going on this month, so let’s dive right in!
We are now accepting submissions to presentat the CSTA 2027 Annual Conference, set for July 8–11, 2027, in Anaheim, CA! We're accepting submissions on a wide variety of topics for breakout sessions, workshops, mini-sessions, and poster presentations. Whether you’ve presented at a CSTA event before, or are looking to present for the first time, submissions are due Oct. 25, 2026!
Have an idea but aren’t sure how to start? The CSTA Conference Committee and veteran presenters will be holding office hours to provide you with individualized support.
Call for Reviewers
Did you enjoy the CSTA 2026 Annual Conference? We owe the incredible variety of cutting-edge sessions to our dedicated reviewers, who look over session proposals and help build the foundation of the conference. With so many great session proposals, we need reviewers to help us choose the best for CSTA 2027. Help us build the conference you want to attend; apply to review!
Join the MENTORS in CS Volunteer Cohort
Give back to the CS teaching community. The MENTORS in CS Volunteer Cohort pairs experienced CS teachers with mentees for a semester of growth.
What you get: professional learning, deeper connections with other teachers, a 2027 CSTA Annual Conference discount (50% mentors / 25% mentees), PD hours with a certificate, and a digital badge.
Time commitment: 12 hours for mentors / 9 hours for mentees, over the course of the semester.
Fill out the interest form by Sept. 14. Selection happens in September; the semester starts in October. Learn more and apply.
K-12 CS for Learners with Disabilities Microcredential
Ready to make your CS classroom more accessible? This asynchronous microcredential guides you through applying UDL strategies in CS, analyzing High Leverage Practices in CS instruction, and accommodating learners in real-world scenarios! Complete the course all in about 20 hours over a 4-week window.
Earn 20 in-service hours/2.0 CEUs (eligible toward Florida Educator Certificate renewal in teaching students with disabilities, and other state certifications) plus a Credly badge to showcase your work.
This opportunity is offered by the UF CS Everyone Center for Computer Science Education with the tuition fee waived — it's free! Apply by Sept. 28. The cohort starts October 6th.
Work Smarter, Not Harder:
Start the Year With a Network
September’s Professional Learning Series Webinar | Sept. 30, 5:30–7 p.m. CT | Register
Starting the CS year doesn't have to mean going it alone. We'll share a quick rundown of what's new in the standards and why it matters, along with strategies for building regional networks and strengthening chapter health. You'll also get space to connect with other CS teachers in your region and start thinking through goals for the year together. If you're newer to CSTA chapters, this is a good place to start.
IMPACT Fellowship Applications Open Soon
The CSTA Computer Science IMPACT Fellows program is a prestigious, 6-month leadership development program focused on creating Inclusive, Meaningful, and Powerful Approaches to Computing Teaching (IMPACT). Participating educators develop their leadership skills while working collectively to identify and address challenges in computer science education. Applications for the 2027 cohort open Sept. 9.Learn more about the fellowship.
Responsible AI
The CSTA Responsible AI Fellowship is a transformative 6-month intensive leadership journey that empowers K-12 educators to develop ethical, inclusive, and innovative approaches to artificial intelligence education. This program addresses the critical need for educators who can navigate the complex landscape of AI while ensuring responsible innovation reaches every classroom.
This teacher recognized that students were going to use AI, whether it was banned or not. She created the CARE Framework to give students a clear process for thinking critically about AI tools across content.
"My question stopped being 'how do I catch AI' and became something harder. What am I actually teaching that a prediction machine can't fake?"
News & Events
Highlights from The Voice
The CSTA Voice is your resource for analysis and commentary on issues related to K–12 computer science education. Interested in contributing to The Voice? Read our Submission Guidelines.
"When students believe they must leave to find opportunity, communities lose more than future technologists. They lose future educators, business owners, and families. They lose people who might otherwise invest their skills back into the places that raised them."
Phet Pease reflects on what led to her fellowship application, her concerns going in, how the experience shifted her thinking, and the skills and network she gained.
Our new online PD course provides a guided, self-paced way to learn about the CSTA Standards for CS Teachers and how to use them to improve their practice in the CS classroom.
Upcoming Events
Check out what’s happening at CSTA! Bookmark this page of our website to stay abreast of CSTA National events. Be sure to log in to your CSTA member profile to ensure you get free registration to our webinars.
Thank you for your continued support of CSTA. The content below is brought to you by our Strategic and/or Annual Partners. Meet our contributors.
Computer Science Builds AI Literacy for a Changing World
AI has arrived in education with remarkable speed. It is in the tools students use, the products schools evaluate, and the language companies use to describe what they offer. The harder question is not whether AI belongs in the classroom, but what students should learn from living in a world shaped by it.
At Qubits, we believe that distinction matters.
Using AI is not the same as understanding it. And knowing how to use today’s AI tools is not the same as being prepared for the systems that will exist tomorrow.
A student who understands computing can ask whether an AI-generated answer is correct, examine the evidence behind it, recognize bias, think about privacy and attribution, and know when human judgment is necessary. These are skills that remain relevant as technology changes.
This is why we describe Qubits as computer science for the age of AI. AI is the context in which our students will learn, work, and make decisions. Computer science gives them the foundation to navigate that context.
We don’t believe every computer science lesson needs an AI label. Our responsibility is more enduring: to help students understand the systems around them well enough to question them, use them responsibly, and think for themselves.
CSTA HQ, 332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite #121-C985, Chicago, Illinois 60604, United States
