October 2026 Newsletter

www.pattan.net/CSinPApd

If you are a school or district administrator who wants to learn more about how you can support CS teachers, or teachers integrating CS into their classes, please consider joining us for the new cohort of our PIL program Leading the Charge: CS for School Administrators.

Registration is open now through October 19th.

Visit this flyer for registration and information.

Applications for the 2026–2027 Pilot Cohort for LEA Teams are now open!

New for 2026–2027, the CSinPA K–8 Foundations to Implementation Pathway is a redesigned professional learning experience that supports LEA teams in exploring the 2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards, identifying local CS priorities, and developing an implementation approach that reflects their students, schools, and local context.

LEA teams will engage in shared foundational learning, select an implementation focus, and receive Implementation Kits to help put their plans into practice. Learn more and register!

Our new workshop series for 2026-2027 offers expert guidance and support to help you succeed. Whether you're just starting your journey or need a final boost, these sessions will cover essential topics and provide valuable practice. Join us for three full-day virtual workshops on key code-based concepts, earn 6 Act 48 credits per session, and benefit from flexible registration options. Expert instruction and peer collaboration will help you feel confident and prepared.

All workshops take place Virtually from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (see details below).

1. November 12, 2026: Foundations, Pseudocode Review, and Test Strategies for 7-12 CS Praxis Exam
2. February 11, 2027: Applied Problem Solving, Code Analysis, and Practice for 7-12 CS Praxis exam
3. May 13, 2027: Pseudocode and Recursion Readiness and Test Prep for 7-12 CS Praxis Exam

Registration will open soon and all information and interest form can be found at this link.

Join CSinPA for Empowering Pennsylvania Educators: Capture the Flag (CTF) for Cybersecurity Career Preparation, a free, two-day, hands-on workshop for grades 6–12 computer science and STEM educators. Participants will explore engaging cybersecurity challenges in cryptography, web security, forensics, and more while learning how to incorporate CTF activities into their classrooms. No prior cybersecurity experience is required.

Fall 2026 workshops will be held at PennWest Edinboro on October 13–14, PennWest California on October 27–28, and Penn State University on November 3–4. Participants who successfully complete the 2 day workshop will receive a classroom set of 10 micro:bit along with Act 48 credit.

Space is limited. View workshop details and complete the interest form through the CTF Workshops Smore.

Are you ready to empower your students with the skills they need to thrive in the fast-growing field of cybersecurity? We’re excited to invite you to join Cohort 3 and 4 of the 7–12/CTE Cybersecurity Education Pathway, a fully online 6 month professional development program designed to give you the tools, knowledge, and resources to implement a cutting-edge cybersecurity curriculum in your school.

Program Highlights:

• Flexible Learning: Attend one online check in session and complete one asynchronous module per month on your own pace.

• Industry-Aligned Curriculum: Align instruction with key standards and frameworks such as CSTA, NIST, and CIS.

• Hands-On Labs: Explore practical cybersecurity tools and techniques through interactive online labs.

• Capstone Project: Design and submit a cybersecurity unit map or lesson plan to showcase your learning.

• Receive a Classroom set of Micro:bits: Upon successful completion of the pathway and submission of the capstone project eligible participants will receive a set of 10 Micro:bits.

Pathways will run from October to March and January to June.

Visit the Smore to register and join this exciting pathway to strengthen cybersecurity education in your classroom!

This 2026-27 school year, we’ll be launching an asynchronous/virtual 6-month educator cohort from October 2026 to March 2027 to help educators like you learn about a fully accessible programming language Quorum.

This unique PD experience for all CS educators on how to use the Quorum programming language, specifically designed to be easy to learn and use for students of all abilities.

Participants in the cohort will receive structured support, hands-on learning, best practices, and ready-to-use curriculum that includes interactive lessons, study aids, and activities. The program also fosters peer collaboration with a community of educators and industry experts, equipping teachers with valuable resources to integrate accessible programming into their classrooms.

Visit our Smore for details and registration.

Registration will open for the Fall Cohort for the 7-12 Praxis Prep Pathway.

This pathway engages 7-12 educators in activities to develop Computer Science (CS) content area knowledge and skills. As a result of the pathway, LEAs will have an educator ready to take and pass the 7-12 CS certification exam and to offer a standards-aligned middle or high school CS course.

Check out the SMORE for more information about the Fall and all upcoming 2026-27 cohorts.

Registration is now open for the next 3-month cohort of the FAA Part 107 Professional Learning Pathway, The pathway will equip 9 -12 educators with the knowledge and skills to bring drone technology into their classrooms.

Through a mix of self-paced modules, live check-ins, and hands-on activities, participants will engage with TKU’s FAA Curriculum and design a unit or lesson plan aligned to CSTA, STEELS, and/or CTE standards.

Check out the FAA Pathway SMORE for the registration link and details on additional cohorts.

As the 2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards launch, the CSinPA team is updating resources to help Pennsylvania educators understand the new standards and connect CS learning with other subject areas.

Our first updated resources include:

1. CSTA–STEELS Technology & Engineering Crosswalk
   A crosswalk between the 2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards and the PA STEELS Technology & Engineering (3.5) Standards, organized by grade level to support standards alignment, instructional planning, and integration.

2. CSTA–Library Model Curriculum Crosswalk
   A crosswalk connecting the 2026 CSTA Standards with Pennsylvania's Library Model Curriculum [2019 Version].

The CSinPA team will continue developing additional standards crosswalks and resources connecting the 2026 CSTA Standards with other subject areas and additional components of the STEELS Standards.

Explore Additional Standards Resources

• CS Standards page in the CSinPA Toolkit – Explore information and resources related to the 2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards.

• Previous CS and STEELS Crosswalks – Our earlier crosswalk resources based on the 2017 CSTA Standards remain available on the CS and STEELS Standards Crosswalks page.

Remake Learning, in partnership with the AI Strike Team, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Hosted Pennsylvania Creates, an interactive gathering exploring what AI literacy can look like when we put curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and human judgment at the center.

Through conversations, hands-on activities, and live demonstrations, participants explored the role of AI in learning, experiment with AI as a creative thought partner, and considered what it means to prepare young people to actively shape an AI-powered future.

Read more about the event here.

Across Pennsylvania, organizations offer valuable computer science (CS) experiences beyond the school day. A new statewide directory will help students, educators, families, and communities discover these opportunities, and help providers reach more participants!

Put Yourself on the Map!

Libraries, colleges and universities, businesses, nonprofits, and other providers across the Commonwealth are invited to join a searchable directory of community-based CS opportunities as part of the CSinPA toolkits.

Register your organization to increase visibility, support recruitment, and build connections with others working to expand CS across Pennsylvania.

Whether you offer a single event, an ongoing program, resources, or other types of opportunities, we want to hear from you!

Please share this invitation widely with CS providers across Pennsylvania. Contact the CSinPA team at PaTTAN (csforall@pattan.net) if you have any questions.

Applications are open for the 2026-2027 program, which brings together small teams of in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and undergraduate computing students to build AI literacy and lead a real K-12 AI education project together.

You'll get cutting-edge AI teaching skills, a $1000 stipend for completing the program, and professional development certificates, all while working alongside computing students and fellow teachers to deepen your subject matter expertise.

Apply by Oct 14 priority deadline

Visit the flyer here for more info

Program sites can win up to $5,000 in this National AI Challenge

If your program serves high school youth, the AI Innovation Challenge from STEM Next Opportunity Fund and the Panasonic Foundation is an exciting new opportunity to engage youth in AI learning and win up to $5,000 for your program site.

In this national competition specifically for high school youth in afterschool programs, young people identify a real-world problem they care about and use AI to research the issue, develop ideas, and strengthen a proposed solution while building valuable AI literacy and durable skills.

No prior AI experience or coding skills are required for youth or educators.

Learn more and sign up to get started here.

The 2026 CSTA Standards are here—what changed, and how can educators begin using them?

A new asynchronous professional learning course, K–12 Computer Science Education in PA: Standards, Landscape, and Opportunities, will launch on November 1, 2026.

This introductory course will help educators explore and begin unpacking the new standards, understand key shifts and expectations for student learning, and examine the current landscape of computer science education in Pennsylvania. Participants will also discover resources and professional learning opportunities to continue building their CS knowledge and capacity.

Registration will open in mid-October. Stay tuned for more information!

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