CSTA 2026 has over 200 sessions dedicated to expanding knowledge in CS education. Putting together your conference schedule can be overwhelming, which is why the CSTA 2026 Conference Committee has made specific recommendations based on what you may be looking for.
We have recommendations for the following strands: High School, Middle School, Elementary School, Equity, Admin/Coaching, and Poster Sessions.
High School Featured Sessions
Using Python to Focus on Mathematical Structure in Cryptography
Breakout session presented by Amy Bigelow
July 14, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. CT
Incorporating programming into algebra classes can simultaneously provide ceilingless opportunities for students craving a challenge, while offering supportive scaffolding for students who may struggle to see the big picture while getting lost in computations. I will share how I have easily created notes and activities in Google Colab to incorporate Python programming with the math and sympy modules into a Cryptography course, where students apply inverses in modular arithmetic and with matrices to decipher secret messages.
From Repo to Ready: On-Ramps to Student Open Source
Breakout session presented by Jessica Yauney
July 14, 3 – 4 p.m. CT
Open-source development can be a meaningful, authentic way for students to apply their coding skills—but it can be intimidating to get start started. This session introduces teachers to GitHub, a classroom-friendly collaboration tool, and shows how open-source projects can allow high school students to contribute to real-world computing. Attendees will begin by reflecting on their own perceptions of GitHub and open source, then learn the basics of version control through a guided demo. Together, we’ll contribute to a set of projects designed with students in mind, and participants will leave the session confident in their ability to model this process for their students.
From Line-by-Line to Learner-Driven: Shifting APCSA to Inquiry and PBL
Breakout session presented by Pamela Whitlock
July 15, 1:30–2:30 p.m. CT
In this session, participants will explore a transformative journey from traditional, line-by-line instruction in AP Computer Science A to an inquiry-driven, project-based learning (PBL) approach. The presenter will share how launching each unit with an inquiry prompt and embedding mini-lectures within student-driven tasks led to deeper engagement and understanding.
The session will feature a two-phase PBL unit where students choose between developing a music or a workout application, each of which fosters creativity, autonomy, and real-world problem solving. In the project’s second phase, students revise their projects based on feedback and present their work in a showcase to business partners or administrators. Participants in the session will receive a complete, classroom-ready unit, including a pacing guide, instructional materials, formative assessments (TOTD, warm-ups, quizzes, code challenges), and scaffolding tools (development journals, code progression checks, and student interviews). You’ll also have the opportunity to begin designing your own inquiry-based AP CS A unit during the session.
Middle School Featured Sessions
Tech Ethics and Impacts Unplugged Card Game
Breakout session presented by Sharonda Haddock and William Hanna
July 14, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Please join us to experience a fun and thought-provoking way to engage students in conversations about ethical design and impact. In this session, we will play the Tech Ethics and Impacts Card Game from AI4GA’s Living and Working with Artificial Intelligence curriculum.
During this session, attendees will take the role of product creators by filling out a worksheet to brainstorm and design their dream robot, smart app, or other emerging technology. In small groups, each person will present their product idea and draw a card to hear from others in their group, who will act as consultants for the ethical concerns presented on the card. The consultant with the best advice will receive “pay” for the scenario. At the end of the rounds of consultations, the highest paid consultant wins!
Following this game, attendees will improve on their product’s original design, using the feedback they received during the ethics and impact scenarios. Attendees will receive a Tech Ethics and Impacts Card Game deck, a game board, and worksheets, so that they can implement this game in their own classrooms.
AI Tools: Craft, Create, Code
Workshop presented by Andrea Davis, Nimra Zafar, and Joyce Olawo
July 15, 3–5:30 p.m. CT
As artificial intelligence transforms how students create, design, and communicate ideas, this hands-on session teaches CS educators to integrate generative AI into their classrooms. Participants in the session will explore the evolution of AI in K–12 education while experimenting with tools like Canva Magic Media, Leonardo.Ai, Suno, Glowforge, and AI-assisted coding platforms. Attendees will engineer prompts to generate cohesive album cover visuals, soundtracks, and basic coded interactions, comparing AI outputs with human-created work to better understand interpretation, style, and limitations. Iterative prompting, multimodal design, and optional makerspace fabrication will demonstrate how students can translate digital concepts into tangible products.
Grounded in UDL, constructivism, authentic assessment, and computational thinking frameworks, this session highlights scaffolded, student-centered strategies that offer multiple means of expression, support multilingual learners, and reduce barriers for diverse abilities. Educators will examine ethical AI use, bias, attribution, digital citizenship, and classroom safety, learning to position AI as a creative collaborator rather than a shortcut. Participants will leave with standards-aligned lesson ideas, rubrics, prompt guides, and classroom workflows that support inclusive, creative exploration.
AI Coding Buddies: Sparking Critical & Creative Thinking in CS
Breakout session presented by Kimberly Smith
July 13, 2:30–3:30 p.m. CT
Imagine every student having a friendly “Design Thinking Buddy” to guide them through coding challenges, project work, and authentic computational problem solving. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll experience how student-facing AI agents can scaffold design thinking, universal design for learning (UDL), and inclusive CS practices.
You’ll learn the essentials of prompt engineering, try out an AI Coding Buddy built for real student workflows, and walk away with editable templates for building your own bots, using Flint, MagicSchool, SchoolAI, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Canva AI, Makers Empire, Coding Makers, Tinkercad, Qweebi, or any other AI-powered classroom assistant. Through open-ended challenges, reflection, and peer discussion, we’ll explore how these tools support English learners, reluctant writers, neurodiverse students, and more, empowering every student to code, debug, and create with confidence.
Participants will also learn strategies to integrate coding buddies across grade levels, adapt for various learning needs, and align with CSTA standards and UDL guidelines. Whether you’re new to AI or a veteran seeking to deepen your inclusive CS practices, you’ll leave with classroom-ready templates, practical strategies, and the know-how to start building your own Design Thinking Buddy. Bring a device (laptop, Chromebook, or tablet) and get ready to co-create the future of inclusive computer science, one prompt at a time!
Building Cyber-Safe Thinkers: Unplugged Cybersecurity Lessons for Middle School Students
Breakout session presented by Jennifer Killian
July 13, 1–2 p.m. CT
Unlock the world of cybersecurity without a single device! In this interactive session, educators will explore inclusive, unplugged activities that make middle school cybersecurity concepts tangible and fun. We’ll introduce three hands-on activities: a “Risk Detectives” challenge where students learn to identify threats and weigh tradeoffs between security and convenience; an “Access Denied” challenge that lets students role-play authentication and permissions, modeling how digital and physical controls protect information; and a “Who’s Who in Cyber?” activity that connects students to diverse IT careers and real-world problem-solving. Together, these activities help students develop their critical thinking, collaboration, and digital citizenship skills.
Designed with universal design for learning (UDL) principles, each activity offers multiple entry points—verbal, visual, and kinesthetic—so that all learners can participate meaningfully. By the end of the session, attendees will be ready to implement unplugged cybersecurity activities and identify UDL strategies that promote inclusion in computer science classrooms. Attendees will leave with lesson plans, printables, reflection prompts, and adaptation strategies to bring cybersecurity to life in their classrooms.
Elementary School Featured Sessions
Firewalls, Backups, and Brute Force… Oh My!
Breakout session presented by Michelle Ruhl and Laura Ventura
July 13, 2:30–3:30 p.m. CT
Cybersecurity headlines remind us that our personal information is constantly at risk. This session offers engaging, real-world activities to help participants understand both the threats and the defenses that keep data safe. We’ll offer hands-on lessons, including interactive firewall simulation, brute-force attack, and how the cloud secures data. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use classroom resources, adaptable explanations for diverse learners, and practical tasks that empower students to make smarter choices online. Cybersecurity becomes less mysterious and more actionable when students connect abstract concepts with real-world risks.
Unveiling Data Narratives: Slow Reveal Graphs and Infographics
Breakout session presented by Amber Melander and Stephanie Aseltine
July 14, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Making sense of data is a skill that needs to be taught, practiced, and refined. As educators, we help students become critical thinkers by teaching them to analyze, interpret, and communicate using data. This workshop offers teachers practical tools to bring data to life in the classroom.
During this session, participants will take on the role of students to experience firsthand how slow reveal graphs and infographics can spark curiosity, foster critical thinking, and support storytelling with data. Through interactive activities, reflection, and resource-sharing, educators will learn actionable strategies and receive classroom materials that support data literacy across content areas.
From Play to Problem Solving: Computational Thinking Comes Alive with Gasha Go!
Breakout session presented by Lavita Williams and Alba Castillo Gutierrez
July 14, 4:15–5:15 p.m. CT
In this breakout session, participants will explore how GASHA GO! World, an interactive suite of K–2 games, videos, and classroom resources from Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Georgia Department of Education, introduces young learners to the foundations of computational thinking through play. This session highlights how storytelling and literacy connections make computer science concepts accessible and engaging for early elementary students. Attendees will receive free resources, classroom integration ideas, and strategies to support creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
CS for All: Teaching Accessibility Through Inclusive Coding and Robotics
Workshop presented by Elissa Hozore, Lauren Milne, Dr. Gina Fugate, Leslie Weilbacher, and Stephen Blazie
July 15, 3–5:30 p.m. CT
Accessibility belongs in the computer science curriculum, not just as a support strategy, but as a computing concept that all students must learn. This workshop presents a developmental continuum of accessible computing and robotics tools that make inclusion possible from PreK through high school.
Educators will explore Code & Go Robot Mouse, CodeQuest, KaiBot, Blocks4All, Swift Playgrounds, Quorum Studio, LEGO SPIKE Prime, Finch Robot 2.0, and Code Jumper, each chosen for their compatibility with tactile, auditory, and visual learning. After a short overview of common barriers and inaccessible mainstream tools (Scratch, MakeCode, Hour of Code), participants will examine multimodal solutions that integrate screen readers, switch access, braille, and tactile graphics. The session includes small-group rotations, hands-on challenges, and discussion of equitable pair programming.
Attendees will leave with a physical packet and digital document of resources, including sample code, tactile design guides, 3D print files, mailing list links, and more.
Code Tales: Teaching Loops and Logic Through Classic and Cultural Stories
Breakout session presented by Rebecca Patterson and Kara Gazaway
July 14, 3–4 p.m. CT
What happens when the Big Bad Wolf meets block coding? In this story-driven session, educators will explore how familiar narratives like The Three Little Pigs can transform the way students understand sequencing, loops, and debugging. Designed for K–5 educators, this session models successful strategies to welcome multilingual students into computer science and engineering through bilingual storytelling and hands-on, maker-centered activities.
Participants will trace “story code,” identify repeated actions as loops, and guide robots through mazes inspired by classic tales. At stations that feature unplugged code tracing, robotics, Tinkercad, and Book Creator, we’ll highlight how repetition, prediction, and problem-solving naturally emerge from storytelling. Grounded in CSTA standards, this session empowers teachers to connect literacy, creativity, and coding. Attendees will leave with adaptable lesson plans, bilingual materials, and classroom-ready resources that help all learners to see themselves as capable creators in computer science and engineering.
Brains Before Bytes: Unplugged CS
Breakout session presented by Tracey Zelden
July 15, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Unplugged computer science empowers students to think like programmers without ever turning on a screen. This session introduces PK–8 educators to hands-on, engaging unplugged activities that build computational thinking skills through play, collaboration, and problem solving. Participants will experience how sequencing, algorithms, conditionals, loops, and debugging can come alive through active learning, storytelling, and creative design challenges. Without devices, students are free to focus on logic, reasoning, and communication.
Attendees will leave with ready-to-use activities adaptable across grade levels. Developmentally appropriate strategies for embedding computer science into their classrooms will be shared, and educators do not need to be computer science teachers to use these resources.
Equity Strand Featured Sessions
Expanding Equity in Physical Computing through a Robotics Lending Library
Poster session presented by Katrina Miller and Rebecca Bailey
July 14, 9:30–11:30 a.m. CT
In 2019, Chicago Public Schools launched the Robotics Lending Library to enhance equitable access to physical computing. This program allows teachers to borrow class sets of robotics devices, providing students with hands-on computing experiences and empowering educators to experiment with innovative instructional methods, without the financial burden of purchasing expensive equipment.
After a brief hiatus during the 2020–21 school year, the library returned with renewed energy and a deeper commitment to equity. Today, it not only offers devices, but also provides curated resources and professional development opportunities to strengthen teacher confidence and instructional capacity.
This poster showcases how the Robotics Lending Library, through its devices, resources, and professional learning, has supported the computer science team’s efforts to advance equity in physical computing. Attendees are encouraged to explore the program’s impact, challenges, and future directions, as well as to share their own experiences with similar equity-driven initiatives.
The Zen of Zeros and Ones: Mindfulness Meets the Matrix
Breakout session presented by Sean Arnold
July 13, 2:30–3:30 p.m. CT
In today’s tech-saturated world, students and educators face unprecedented challenges to their mental well-being. This session explores the surprising and powerful intersection of computer science and mindfulness, demonstrating how coding can become a tool for emotional expression, resilience, and self-discovery. Participants will learn how the focused, logical nature of coding can promote a state of “flow” and mindfulness, while debugging cultivates essential skills like problem-solving and a growth mindset.
We will delve into practical strategies for integrating social and emotional learning competencies into STEM lessons through hands-on coding activities, such as Scratch projects that explore emotions and code poetry. We will explore AI platforms where students and teachers can create Socratic health bots to advise and help in healthy reflection. We’ll also discuss the importance of community care versus self-care, strategies to foster a supportive classroom environment, and tech tools for well-being, including AI wellness bots and mindfulness apps. Join us to discover how students and educators can find balance, build resilience, and nurture well-being in the digital age. No coding experience is necessary—just an open mind!
Expanding Access: Integrating CS Accessibility Tools Across CTE Pathways
Breakout session presented by Brett Tanaka and Sara Frey
July 14, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Computer science accessibility tools, such as screen readers, voice input, and alternative interfaces, can transform how students engage with technology across career and technical education (CTE) programs. This session explores how to integrate these tools in CS courses and other CTE career pathways like digital technology, business, advanced manufacturing, arts, entertainment, and design and health. Attendees will learn how accessibility supports promote equity, align with universal design for learning principles, and prepare students for careers in tech. Through demonstrations, case studies, and interactive discussions, we’ll share strategies and resources to make CTE programs more inclusive environments that prepare all students for real-world CS career opportunities.
Makerspaces WOW (Without Walls)
Breakout session presented by Kimberly Smith
July 15, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT
Discover how to bring the creativity of makerspaces to any classroom—no dedicated lab required! This interactive poster spotlights virtual tools like Makers Empire, Qweebi, and Tinkercad that let students design, build, and test their creations online. We’ll share ready-to-use strategies to integrate 3D design, coding, and engineering equitably, sparking curiosity and innovation in every learner.
Using these tools, educators can transform any device into a creative computer science lab. We’ll share how these free, device-friendly platforms remove barriers of budget, space, and accessibility, making it possible for all learners to participate in engaging, hands-on CS and STEAM. The session includes practical ideas for adapting projects to support students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and varied grade levels. Connect with educators, ask questions, and leave with free resources to help you launch creative design and coding experiences—no matter your starting point or classroom setup.
Admin & Coaching Featured Sessions
CS Coaching for Beginners: Strategies to Launch, Learn, and Lead
Breakout session presented by Jessa Miles and Katie Breaud
July 13, 2:30–3:30 p.m. CT
In this session, new and aspiring CS coaches will explore practical tools to launch their first year with confidence. We’ll present strategies for building a 90-day plan, creating a year-at-a-glance, and aligning goals with school priorities. Attendees will receive templates, examples, and resources to guide their coaching journey.
The presenters’ coaching spans diverse K–12 education settings, including Title I, urban, rural, and English-language learner populations. In our session, we will draw on our experiences to support CS coaches in a range of educational contexts and promote inclusive, culturally responsive, equity-centered coaching practices.
Designing K-12 Pathways: Tools and Strategies for Administrators
Breakout session presented by Sara Frey and Ethan Pan
July 14, 3–4 p.m. CT
How can district and school leaders design K–12 CS pathways for all students, providing a strong foundation in CS while supporting diverse interests, abilities, and postsecondary goals? Join us for an engaging session that addresses this challenge head-on.
Presenters will share lessons learned from facilitating a professional learning program that guides educational leaders through an iterative process of planning, implementing, and refining K–12 CS pathways aligned with the revised CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards for Students and the 2025 Reimagining CS Pathways project.
Through guided exploration and reflection, participants will analyze what makes a CS pathway coherent and equitable, explore activities and materials that support systems-level design, and reflect on their own roles in CS pathway development. Attendees will leave with strategies and adaptable resources, including strategic planning rubrics, templates for analyzing curriculum, and more.
Tips for Launching a CS Advocacy Coalition
Breakout session presented by Dan Blier, Shaina Glass, Carol Fletcher, and Ryan Torbey
July 14, 4:15–5:15 p.m. CT
How do you bring diverse stakeholders together to advocate for the policies and funding that bring CS education to every student? In this session, founding members of the CS4TX coalition will discuss organizational, legal, communications, and sustainability strategies used by one state to build a coalition that has successfully advanced CS for all students. Members of the coalition will discuss how they navigated a challenging sociopolitical landscape, leveraged the clout of corporate and industry leaders, and drew on the deep well of knowledge possessed by CS educators.
Participants in the session will engage in a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to evaluate their own state efforts and consider the role that educators can play in leading advocacy efforts. We’ll share tips and strategies for building advocacy and leadership skills, centering educator voice, and catalyzing policy improvements in your own state or district.
Featured Poster Sessions
Amplifying Student Voices: Launching and Sustaining Student-Led Tech Podcasts
Poster session presented by Tambra Clark
July 14, 9:30–11:30 a.m. CT
Discover how to empower students to become content creators, storytellers, and tech innovators through podcasting! This session shares the journey of creating and sustaining “Bulldog Talk on the Edge,” a successful student-led podcast at Birmingham City Schools that amplifies student perspectives while developing critical CS and media literacy skills.
Participants will learn practical strategies for launching a student-led podcast program, including equipment selection on various budgets, student training workflows, and scaffolding technical skills in audio editing, digital citizenship, and content production. We’ll explore how podcasting naturally integrates computational thinking, problem solving, and cross-curricular connections, while giving students ownership of their learning. We’ll address common implementation challenges: building student confidence as hosts and producers, establishing sustainable production schedules, creating mentorship structures, and measuring learning outcomes.
Whether you’re interested in starting a podcast club, integrating podcasting into the CS curriculum, or finding innovative ways to center student voice in your classroom, this session provides actionable steps to transform students from consumers to creators.
CS FUTURES: A Statewide Model for Recruiting and Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Teach K–12
Poster session presented by Omolara Oni, Guy Trainin, Leen-Kiat Soh, and Williams Kwabene Boakye
July 14, 9:30–11:30 a.m. CT
Nebraska’s new Computer Science and Technology Education Act (LB1112) accelerated demand for qualified K–12 CS teachers by requiring CS in elementary and middle schools and a for-credit high school CS course. An analysis of statewide data reveals major workforce gaps to meet this demand, with only 177 CS teachers across the state, compared to 515 teachers needed. This deficit disproportionately affects urban and rural districts.
In this session, we’ll present one strategy for addressing this deficit: the CS FUTURES model, which prepares preservice teachers to teach computational problem solving in K–12 classrooms. Participants in the session will engage directly with curriculum modules that emphasize decomposing problems, designing algorithms, and applying iterative thinking. Through mentorship and data-driven reflection, teachers learn to translate algorithmic design principles into effective, inclusive classroom practices that strengthen foundational CS learning statewide.
Attendees will leave with a deep knowledge of who teaches what in Nebraska, as well as a ready-to-adapt playbook for building preservice CS pathways in their own states.
Computer Science’s Role in the Rural Agriculture Classroom of 2035
Poster session presented by Yerika Jimenez and Joseph Wiggins
July 14, 3–5 p.m. CT
The Rural CS+Agriculture Alliance works to uncover overlaps in agriculture and CS curriculum and to co-design educational technologies that increase ease of adoption. This session presents the results of a research-practitioner partnership aimed at developing CS skills in agriculture classrooms.
Through this partnership, we asked teachers to predict what agriculture will look like in 2035, focusing on trends that the teachers have seen and expect to continue. The teachers highlighted several important challenges: a shortage of tenable farmlands and concurrent increase in population, an aging workforce, the impact of urbanization and industrialization on the costs of becoming a farmer, and the prevalence of automation all across agriculture.
Our focus groups also anticipate a steady increase in the use of computer science and AI in farming, mentioning computers in all farm equipment, self-driving vehicles, drones, and precision agriculture. Farming is, and has always been, highly multidisciplinary. The need to integrate CS in agriculture classrooms is real and growing.
Our work explores different paths forward in CS+Agriculture, and we are eager to involve everyone in a future worth pursuing. The session will review our insights and discuss how our teachers believe we could bring more rural communities into CS.