September 2026 Newsletter

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 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!

October 2, 2026 | 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh, PA

Hosted in partnership with NCWIT’s Advising for Future-Ready Students program, PaTTAN’s CSinPA initiative, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, and CyberHub PGH, this full-day workshop brings together middle and high school counselors, CTE advisors, career coaches, and other professionals who help students explore their futures.

Hear directly from expert panelists representing K–12 education, higher education, and industry while learning how to expand equitable access to technology and cybersecurity careers across Western Pennsylvania.

Participants will:

• Explore high-demand career opportunities and postsecondary pathways.

• Learn how to help students navigate industry credentials, CTE programs, and college degree options.

• Gain actionable strategies for expanding technology, cybersecurity, and digital citizenship opportunities for all students.

Participant benefits include Act 48 credit and cybersecurity career resources.

This workshop was designed with K–12 school counselors in mind. However, professionals whose roles include student advising or a strong focus on cybersecurity are also welcome to attend.

Additional workshop locations will be offered across Pennsylvania in spring 2027.

Visit our Smore for details and to register.

This 2026-27 school year, we’ll be launching a 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.

PA Fly Lab will run five FAA Part 107 cohorts during the 2026 - 27 school year.

There will be two 6-month and three 3-month cohorts. 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 SMORE for specific dates and to be added to our email list when registration is available.

The CSinPA team hosted the 2026 CS Camp during the Bridging Knowledge to Know-How Conference in Lancaster. Over four days, campers learned to design and develop their own video games using Quroum, a fully accessible programming language.

Campers also toured Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology to explore its computer science programs. Throughout the camp, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences to support their project development.

Camp concluded with a student showcase during the conference, where campers presented their game, discussed design decisions, highlighted challenges they overcame, and reflected on their learning.

Sarah joins the CSinPA team as a consultant, bringing experience in curriculum development, STEM education, and computer science integration.

Prior to joining CSinPA, Sarah served as a Curriculum Specialist with IU8, where she supported educators in incorporating STEM and computer science into their classrooms in meaningful and accessible ways. In her new role, she will support the CSinPA team in advancing opportunities for high-quality computer science education across Pennsylvania.

Sarah is passionate about helping educators build confidence in integrating CS into learning experiences that engage and empower all students.

The National AI Literacy Landscape Report is out, built on a survey of 552 educators across K-12 formal and informal learning environments plus eight focus groups.

Three key findings:

• AI use is already widespread. Two-thirds of educators use it several times a week, mostly for practical tasks and generating content.

• Training is the difference. Among educators with more than eight hours of professional learning, 74% reported frequent AI use in their work, compared with just 16% of those with no training.

• Gaps exist. Forty-nine percent of out-of-school-time educators report no AI training. Among women educators, 41% report none, compared with 23% of men.

The report highlights six recommendations for schools, districts, out-of-school-time programs, funders, researchers, and policymakers.

Read the Report

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.

Join educators and school leaders from across Pennsylvania for the Data Literacy Action Summit: Weaving Data Fluency Across Disciplines for Civic Impact

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and Data Science 4 Everyone (DS4E), in collaboration with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU3), will host this event on October 6, 2026, at PaTTAN Central in Harrisburg.

This summit will support local education agencies in expanding opportunities for data science and data literacy while exploring innovative pathways for student learning.

Registration is now open! The summit is designed for teams of 2–4 teachers and school leaders from the same district, though individual registrations are also welcome. Each participant must register individually using the registration link or QR code on the flyer. Register by September 14, 2026.

• Free event
• Breakfast and lunch provided
• Limited travel scholarships available

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