The CS Teaching Excellence Award honors K–12 computer science educators whose commitment and excellence have aided the development of CS education and technology. Winners of this award are outstanding teachers who increase the engagement of underrepresented students in computing, encourage students to pursue CS careers, and offer challenging, standards-aligned CS curriculum.
This award is made possible by Infosys Foundation USA. CSTA is thankful for their support and sponsorship, which allows us to recognize and honor the impact CS teachers have on their students, within and outside of the classroom.
This award offers a tiered structure that includes National Winner, Honorable Mention, and Regional Winner. All applicants will be evaluated on the national level. Applicants not selected as a National Winner or Honorable Mention may still be eligible for a Regional Award.
Program Timeline
- Early Winter: Part One of the application opens.
- Mid-Winter: Part One of the application closes; CSTA Awards Committee conducts internal review to determine Part Two finalists; Part Two of the application opens.
- Late Winter: Part Two of the application closes.
- Late Spring: All Part Two applications are evaluated by reviewers; CSTA Awards Committee selects winners; all Part Two candidates are notified of their application status.
Prizes
National Winners will receive:
- A $7,500 cash prize
- Complimentary registration, travel, and lodging for the CSTA 2025 Annual Conference in Cleveland, sponsored by Infosys Foundation USA
- Recognition at the 2025 CSTA Awards Banquet and on CSTA’s website
- A featured article that shares their work published in CSTA’s The Voice
- One year of complimentary CSTA+ membership
Honorable Mentions will receive:
- A $2,500 cash prize
- Recognition on CSTA’s website
- Recognition from the applicant’s CSTA chapter
- One year of complimentary CSTA+ membership
Regional winners will receive:
- A $500 cash prize
- Recognition on CSTA’s website
- Recognition via a regional awards ceremony
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the CS Teaching Excellence Award, you must:
- Live in the United States
- Teach K–12 computer science
- Be a CSTA+ member**
- While being a member of a CSTA chapter is not required, it is strongly encouraged.
*Current CSTA board members, staff, and their immediate family are not eligible for awards with prizes attached.
**If you are not currently a CSTA+ member, please visit csteachers.org/join. If you have a CSTA Basic membership and would like to upgrade your membership, please log into your member dashboard and locate the module titled “My Membership.”
**Please know that CSTA+ memberships are non-refundable in the event you are not selected for Part Two of the application process or as a winner of the award.
**While CSTA+ membership is required to apply, we have membership scholarships available on a case-by-case basis for individuals who show a demonstrated need.
If you are in need of financial support to become a CSTA+ member, we encourage you to register for Amazon Future Engineer, which provides a variety of curricular resources in addition to a scholarship for CSTA+ membership. If you have questions about this process, please contact our Membership Experience Manager at jen.manly@csteachers.org.
Regions
This year, thanks to the continued support of Infosys Foundation USA, we are able to recognize up to 30 educators for the 2024-2025 CS Teaching Excellence Awards at the regional level! Please see the regions below:
- Four Corners: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
- Illinois: Illinois and Chicago
- New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
- New York: Capital District, Long Island, Mid-Hudson Valley, Staten Island, Western New York
- CSTA Iowa
- CSTA Miami
- CSTA New Jersey
- CSTA South Carolina
- CSTA Wyoming
These awards were made possible by a grant from Infosys Foundation USA.
Questions? Contact us at awards@csteachers.org.