CSTA-MN April Newsletter
Kate Lockwood
CSTA-MN Newsletter: April 2026
🚀 Welcome from CSTA-MN!
Hello CSTA-MN Members and Friends!
We had a great March meeting learning about data science resources and opportunities:
Paul Schonfeld from The Northern Lights Collaborative, Mike Schrage, and Shana Crosson shared their project (with Feather LaRoche) GIS & Ma’iinganag: Wolves, Resources, and Mapping
Designed around 7th-grade science and social studies standards and CSTA CS standards - although it could work with other grade levels as well!
Should take around four days of 45-minute class periods. All materials (teacher- and student-facing) are provided, including assessments.
Great reflections from everyone involved about integrating GIS into CS and giving students time and space to explore data.
In Feather’s words “this lesson brings together mapping, computer science, and Indigenous perspectives in a way that feels hands-on and meaningful.” We all couldn’t agree more! Thank you all for sharing such a fantastic resource!
A number of other data science resources were shared, including:
micro:bit - data logging/visualization, collection, analysis
MIT App Inventor - data science, data acquisition and analysis
Quorum - data science introduction, data science overview part 1, part 2
CODAP - online, free educational software for data analysis and visualization
The K12 Data Science Education Conference (call for proposals now open!)
If you use these, or any other data science resources, we’d love to hear about your experience at an upcoming meeting!
Check out the March Meeting slides with additional information from our speakers or watch the March Meeting recording.
📅 Upcoming Chapter Meeting: Physical Computing
Our next CSTA-MN Chapter Meeting is scheduled for April 22 at 3:45 PM via Google Meet.
This month, we’ll be exploring resources and tools for teaching Physical Computing K-12. If you have any great resources or lessons for Physical Computing, we’d love to have you share during the meeting. Reach out to Kate Lockwood to volunteer (kloc...@spa.edu).
When: Wednesday, April 22, 3:45 PM CST
Future meeting dates and topics:
May 20, 2026: End of the year wrap-up
Monday, August 3: We will host a social meet up during MN+CS and Empower{MN:CS}
💡 Professional Development & Resources
Looking to expand your teaching toolkit or find new resources? Check out these opportunities:
1. Nominate yourself (or a colleague) for a CSTA-MN leadership position!
It’s such an important time to be working in computer science in Minnesota! Licensure standards are coming out soon, we’re working our way up the state rankings, and our computer science teachers are doing great things every day! We’d love to have YOU join the CSTA-MN leadership team to help drive our success over the next school year! All leadership positions are open and run on a school year calendar (so you’d serve September 2026 - August 2027). The time commitment varies depending on the role, and we work collaboratively as a leadership team to make sure everything gets done. Please reach out to a current board member with any questions and complete the (SHORT!) leadership nomination form by May 1.
2. EdCon 2026
Join Cyber.org for EdCon 2026. This Cybersecurity conference is June 16-18 in Reno, NV. Registration is only $75 for K-12 educators! Check EdCon's flyer or visit cyber.org/edcon.
3. Registration is now open for EmpowerMN CS+AI 2026!
EmpowerMN CS+AI 2026 is a unique three-day computing education professional development event that offers a chance to explore a workshop topic of your choice led by experienced facilitators. At EmpowerMN participants will:
Choose one of seven three-day computer science or artificial intelligence workshops that best aligns to your professional learning goals and experience
Join whole group events including guest speakers and networking opportunities
Introduction to Computer Science and Computational Thinking
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
CS Integration with Physical Computing
Experience CS
AI in CS Education
Telling Stories with Data: CS Thinking Through Human Data
Cybersecurity Standards & Curricula
Dates: August 4th - August 6th, 2026
Cost: $100 (includes 1 year of CSTA membership)
Stipend: $630 stipend for teachers who attend all three days (eligibility details)
Location: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus
Travel Reimbursement: Up to $600 reimbursement available for those who qualify (eligibility details)
Who: Educators of all experience levels interested in computer science and AI education
Empower Registration Form
Questions? Contact nlcolla...@umn.edu
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2607763
4. MN+CS has been rescheduled!
MN+CS is officially back for a second year! This year’s conference was rescheduled and will now be the day before Empower - come to the Twin Cities for TWO opportunities of high quality CS professional development!
Save the date: MN+CS conference Monday, August 3, 2026
Location: Dunwoody College of Technology
Call for proposals open again! If you already submitted a proposal and are still interested in presenting, you are all set. The MN+CS proposal form is open until May 15, 2026. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kate Lockwood, kloc...@spa.edu.
5. Are you attending CSTA 2026 in New Orleans?
Will you be attending CSTA 2026 in New Orleans this July? If so and would like to stay in touch, complete the CSTA-MN Meet-up Interest Form: CSTA 2026 New Orleans.
6. AP CS A Professional Development with CSAwesome!
CSAwesome is providing free professional development for public high school teachers through the Pathfinders Online Institute this summer. If you are considering offering the Advanced Placement Computer Science A course or any programming course using Java, then please consider joining us!
Dates: July 20 - 24, 2026
Times: ~8 hours per day, including three synchronous meetings daily (tentatively 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET, 2:00-4:00 PM ET, and 5:00-6:00 PM ET) and asynchronous work during the rest of the daily hours
Apply: CSAwesome Application
7. Computer Science District Leaders Meeting
What: MDE CS District Leaders meeting
When: Monday, May 4, 2026, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Registration: Computer Science District Leaders Meeting Registration
8. Experience CS - Classroom visits
The Raspberry Pi team is hoping to visit a number of classrooms this spring to see Experience CS in action and learn from educators. These classroom visits are meant to be informal and an opportunity for the team to observe, learn, and connect with you and your students. Observation data is used to update learning materials to best support anyone in using Experience CS.
If you are interested in having a classroom visit, please complete the Experience CS Classroom Visit Interest Form.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Liz Walsh, liz....@raspberrypi.org.
9. Participate in a Survey to help research!
The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) and the Institute for Advancing Computing Education (IACE) are studying a set of 9-12th grade vignettes which will be used to understand how teachers align their practices to the CSTA Standards for Teachers. In this part of the study, we are looking for responses from 9-12th grade teachers in the U.S. We are testing the survey forms, and we ask for your feedback on the vignettes after each one so we can improve them in the future. We anticipate the survey will take about 20-25 minutes to complete.
All responses are confidential - only the research team at IACE and CSTA will see your individual data. Participation is completely voluntary. If you are a 9th-12th grade teacher and you complete the survey, you will receive a $50 e-gift card. The survey will close after we receive responses from 100 teachers. To access, go to CS Vignettes for 9th-12th Grade Teachers (Pilot Study).
10. Participate in another survey to help the CSTA!
Check your email for an invitation from the national CSTA chapter. They are collecting survey responses from members in exchange for a $10 gift card. Survey links are unique, so don’t share yours, but make sure you take the survey so your opinion is counted!
11. Check out summer PD opportunities
Keep checking the list of Spring/Summer PD opportunities. If you have an opportunity to add, reach out to a leadership team member.
12. Summer opportunities from Code Savvy
Summer Byte-Sized Challenge: Bring computer science to your students this summer with Code Savvy’s free Byte-Sized Challenge! This beginner-friendly, 16-lesson program uses the micro:bit to guide students through coding and design thinking as they create solutions to real community needs. No prior CS experience needed, educators receive training, curriculum, and ongoing support. Fill out the Byte-Sized Challenge interest form to learn more and get started.
Innovate for Good: AI Builders Day: Join Code Savvy on June 13 (9:00 AM–3:30 PM) for a FREE, one-day experience where students ages 8–18 explore coding, AI, and design thinking to build real solutions to real-world problems. No experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to create! The Twin Cities location will be announced soon. In the meantime, fill out this AI Builders Day interest form to stay informed.
13. Opportunities from Girls Who Code
Start a Girls Who Code Club: Get access to a robust curriculum, hands-on support, and a yearly Clubs Fund to bring your ideas to life. Plus, check out exciting Girls Who Code updates this year, including our very own IDE! Complete the Girls Who Code sign up and inspire the next generation of coders.
Pathways Application is Open: We encourage you to share the Pathways Application with high school girls and nonbinary students in your network (including rising 9th graders, graduating seniors, and returning participants). Girls Who Code’s Pathways empower students to explore tech tracks like AI + Society, Cybersecurity, Data Science + AI, Game Design or Web Development, create meaningful tech projects, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and become part of a lifelong community of changemakers in tech. Students can learn more by checking out the Pathways flyer, registering for upcoming Pathways webinars, and reviewing Pathways FAQs. The priority deadline to apply is April 10, 2026, but the application will stay open for a few weeks after.
⭐ Member Spotlight: ????
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📚 Book Corner 🌈
Spring is in the air! Time for some refreshing new reads. Bringing you recent publications across the reading spectrum to read on the porch with the longer days.
📣 Stay Connected
Join the conversation and connect with other Minnesota CS educators!
Have newsletter items? Email kloc...@spa.edu
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Contact Minnesota CSTA Chapter