CSTA 2025 has over 200 sessions dedicated to expanding knowledge in CS education. Putting together your conference schedule can be overwhelming, which is why the CSTA 2025 Conference Committee has made specific recommendations based on what you may be looking for. Here are five sessions that highlight equity in CS education.
Instructional Design with the Multilingual Learner In Mind
July 8, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
Breakout session presented by Melissa DeMull and Lisa Wenzel
This interactive session shares practical, research-based strategies to engage and support multilingual learners, enhancing both language skills and academic success in STEM and CS classrooms. As schools become increasingly diverse, inclusive teaching approaches are essential to address varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Participants will explore proven strategies centered on the four language domains—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—to build student-centered, inclusive learning environments. The session begins with a reflective exercise, inviting participants to consider their teaching contexts and motivations for supporting multilingual learners. Presenters will then share tested strategies and resources to enhance multilingual students’ engagement and comprehension. Educators will learn to apply these tools in their classrooms, fostering an environment where all students can thrive. Through collaborative discussions and hands-on activities, attendees will gain actionable takeaways to immediately integrate into their classrooms, thereby developing a culture of equity that empowers every student.
Code for Change: Integrating Computer Science with Climate Action
July 10, 10:30 AM-11:30 AM ET
Breakout session presented by Lisa Moe, Tonya Coates, Lindsay Munoz, and Darren Alcala
In this session, participants will explore how computer science serves as a powerful tool for understanding and addressing climate change. Through an engaging blend of discussions, hands-on activities, and collaborative problem solving, we’ll showcase ways to integrate computer science concepts with climate science, enabling students to apply computational thinking to real-world environmental challenges. Participants in this session will learn how to align their lessons with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and why it’s so important to connect these global goals to local environmental challenges. This approach allows students to see the immediate impact of their work on their communities. Educators will leave with practical resources, project ideas, and assessment strategies for implementing climate-focused, equity-centered coding lessons.
Differentiating the App Development Process for All Students (and Teachers!)
July 8, 3:30 PM-4:30 PM ET
Breakout session presented by Tom Cozzolino
Have you ever wanted to help students create their own apps, but you aren’t sure how? Come explore a variety of tools, plugged and unplugged, that will enable you to incorporate app development into the classroom—no experience or coding skills necessary! In this session, participants learn how even the youngest students can create fun and engaging apps and become digital changemakers. This could be as simple as a paper prototype, or as complex as a fully functioning app with an accompanying business proposal. Using Carol Ann Tomlinson’s model for differentiation, we’ll explore how to scaffold and differentiate the app development process for all learners and classrooms. You’ll leave the session with tools and resources to start creating apps with your students in a way that works for your classroom. This session will utilize Agile project management principles as well as flipped classroom techniques, allowing attendees to explore the tools and resources that fit their needs.
Code HER Future: Empowering the Next Generation of Women Leaders in CS
July 9, 9:00 AM-10:00 AM ET
Breakout session presented by Lisa Moe, Daa’iyah Cooke, and Ebonie Campbell
This session equips educators with strategies to inspire female students to see themselves as leaders and innovators in computer science. Educators will explore methods to dismantle the barriers that often discourage girls from entering or thriving in CS, focusing on culturally responsive teaching and joyful, purpose-driven learning. Participants will design tools to promote female leadership in their classrooms and communities, drawing on mentorship frameworks, role models, and culturally relevant teaching practices. By the end of the session, educators will be ready to foster a supportive environment that celebrates diversity, empowers girls to pursue leadership roles, and instills a lasting passion for technology.
Dreaming of a Joyful CS Classroom
July 8, 2:00 PM-3:00 PM ET
Breakout session presented by Jayne Everson
This session takes the time to dream about what it would look like for a CS classroom to center inclusion and joy. As teachers, we want to accomplish this goal, but we can’t do it alone: it takes a community to understand and overcome the current obstacles to creating a joyful CS classroom. To do this, we’ll start by reviewing the latest academic research on justice and culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies in CS education. Then we’ll examine and name the things that make it difficult for joy to exist in a classroom. Finally, as a group, we’ll dream of the future of CS learning by envisioning and designing an educational environment that engenders joy.
Register for CSTA 2025
Be sure to head to the full conference program to read more about these recommendations and plan which sessions you want to attend. If you haven’t registered for the annual conference yet, head to the CSTA 2025 website to secure your spot. We are excited to see you there!