CSinPA Newsletter

NCWIT proudly announces the 2024 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) High School Award national recipients

Each year, U.S. high school students in grades 9 through 12 who are women, genderqueer, or non-binary are eligible to receive recognition for their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

Awards Received

• 2023 National Honorable Mention
• 2023 Greater Philadelphia Affiliate Winner
• 2024 National Winner

Vanesa Aguay is an Ecuadorian-American high school senior in Reading, PA. Passionate about using technology to reduce inequities, her passions lie in the intersection of electrical engineering, computational neuroscience, and philosophy. She has published neurophysiology research conducted with a team at Carnegie Mellon and is the founder of Luna Co, a bluetooth app to improve quality of life.

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Awards Received

• 2024 National Honorable Mention
• 2024 Central PennsylvaniaWinner

Niharika Shukla is a 16-year old researcher, developer, and mental health advocate passionate about fighting the mental health crisis using advocacy and technology. As a young researcher at the U.S. Department of State, Niharika is studying mental health disorders affecting young people globally and is using technology to create solutions. Niharika developed Mind Power, an iOS app fighting the mental health crisis in America through education, policy change, and direct support, with her work featured in ABC News and the Nasdaq Billboard in Times Square.

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Sindhuja K.

Christina H.

Sanika J.

Nidhi R.

Christina H.

Raneem W.

Alekhya B.

Calling all CS Educators! Want to learn strategies for an inclusive and engaging learning environment for your students? We've got a fantastic opportunity for you!

“Empowering Educators: Add-Ons to Boost Equity and Inclusion for Your CS Curriculum”

This FREE online professional development course, offered in partnership with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), will equip you with practical strategies to make your CS curriculum more equitable and inclusive.

Here's what you'll gain:

• Actionable strategies: Learn concrete ways to integrate student voice, choice, diverse perspectives, and equitable assessments into your existing curriculum.

• Expert guidance: Gain insights from experienced educators and explore best practices in promoting equity and inclusion in the CS classroom.

• CSTA+ Membership (a $50 value): As a bonus, upon successful completion of the course, you'll receive a FREE one-year CSTA membership – connecting you with a national network of CS educators, valuable resources, and professional development opportunities.

• Stipend: upon successful completion of the course(includes live sessions), you will receive a stipend of $250 to compensate you for your time (10 hours total).

Course Details:

• Live Sessions: Every Thursday in May from 6 PM to 7 PM

• Format: Interactive online sessions with opportunities for collaboration and discussion

• Click here to submit your Interest Form

Don't miss out on this valuable chance to create a more impactful CS learning experience for your students!

The peer tutoring program for teachers preparing for the PA 7-12 CS certification exam is back for 2023-24! We continue to offer the program to participants in any current or previous PaTTAN 7-12 CS professional learning program (7-12 PAsmart 1.0/2.0, CSinPA 7-12 CS Praxis Prep pathway). For more information on the CSinPA 7-12 Praxis Prep pathway for the 2023-24 school year please click here

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education is pleased to announce the seventh annual Pennsylvania Computer Science For All (CSforAllPA) Summit will be held December 11-12, 2024 at PaTTAN Harrisburg and online.

Your voice matters, and we want to ensure that our upcoming summit reflects your interests and aspirations. Your valuable input will play a pivotal role in shaping the agenda and content of the event. To make sure that we address your specific preferences and needs, we kindly invite you to complete our interest form.

Registration is still ongoing for the following courses in our K-8 Micro-credential Program.

• CSinPA: Why, What and How? (2-hour)

• AI in the Classroom: Introduction (2-hour)

• AI in the Classroom: Integrating AI to Support Student Learning (4- hour)

• Cybersecurity in the K-8 classroom: Introduction (2-hour)

• Using Music to Engage Students in CS Learning (4-hour)

• Empowering All Students in CS Learning through a Behavioral Approach (4-hour)

The PaTTAN CSinPA team is seeking elementary and middle school (K-6) educators as Curriculum Resource Developers to contribute to a growing collection of CSinPA resources. Curriculum Resource Developers will design and develop unit/lesson resources based on the CSinPA Computer Science (CS) K-6 Model Curriculum framework.

The position is 100% virtual and offers flexible scheduling. Curriculum Resource Developers will be paid a stipend of $700 per project. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

More information, including the application link can be found here.

The Infosys Foundation USA is back with their FREE Pathfinders Summer Institute! This year, they're offering a variety of virtual courses in computer science and maker education (19 total) for K-12 public & charter school educators (and even librarians & tech specialists this year!).

Courses run June-August 2024 with flexible schedules.Fully-funded scholarships available (first come, first served).Just one course per educator.

Level up your CS skills and join a supportive community this summer! Learn more and register here:https://www.infosys.org/infosys-foundation-usa/media/blog/pathfinders-summer-institute2024.html

Teachers, Counselors, and Administrators:

Looking to increase enrollment or the diversity of your enrollment in AP Computer Science Principles course?

Join College Board and Counselors 4 Computing for this webinar:

• Gain knowledge about the AP Computer Science Principles program and what makes it engaging for a new set of students.
• Hear an AP CSP teacher and students from across the state (literally!) Philadephia and Erie!
• Learn best practices for inviting underrepresented students into computing from Counselors 4 Computing from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT).

Access previous editions of the CSinPA newsletter.

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