WeTeach_CS Summit 2025: Full Schedule

June 9-10, 2025
Renaissance Austin Hotel - 9721 Arboretum Blvd, Austin, TX 78759
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9:45am CDT

Building Bridges in K-12 Computer Science Education: A Town Hall for Collaboration and Support

Monday June 9, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am CDT

Brazos (Upstairs)

Join us for an interactive Town Hall-style session where K-12 educators can discuss challenges, share ideas, and seek support. With a panel featuring representatives from key Texas organizations, like the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, this session offers a platform for educators to collaborate on pressing issues in the field. Bring your questions and insights to engage with peers and experts and help shape the future of computer science education in Texas.

CS and/or Cybersecurity Content Knowledge Level Required: Everyone. No prior knowledge required.

Presenters

Carrie Gits

Director, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Aleyda Cantu-Lee

Director, Digital Learning, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Monday June 9, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am CDT
Brazos (Upstairs)

Leadership, K-12

12:45pm CDT

Professional Pathways into Computing: It’s Not Always a Straight Line

Monday June 9, 2025 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT

Brazos (Upstairs)

This panel of professionals in diverse computer science related careers will discuss the unique and sometimes non-traditional pathways they’ve taken to careers which leverage high performance computing. Educators will learn how they can support students with greater interest in fields such as life sciences for careers which depend on fluency in computational sciences. Educator strategies for broadening the aperture of who participates in high school computer science from the AWSM in CS project will also be discussed.

CS and/or Cybersecurity Content Knowledge Level Required: Everyone. No prior knowledge required.

Presenters

Marissa Llamas

Winnie Warren

Kelsey Beavers

Research Associate, The University of Texas at Austin, TACC

Lena Duplechin Seymour

Madeline Haynes

Research Associate, Texas Advanced Computing Center

mhaynes@tacc.utexas.eduStarting in 2014, Madeline Haynes served as a graduate research assistant at TACC on the Education & Outreach and EPIC teams. Prior to graduate school, she taught high school math in the Rio Grande Valley. As a graduate student she also worked at the Charles... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 12:45pm - 1:45pm CDT
Brazos (Upstairs)

Broadening Participation, K-12

2:00pm CDT

Nurturing the Next Generation of CS Educators: A Space for New and Early Career CS Teachers

Monday June 9, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT

Brazos (Upstairs)

This workshop is designed to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for new and early career computer science (CS) educators. Participants will be able to connect with peers, share experiences and learn from experts in the field. The workshop will tackle common challenges new CS teachers face, present practical strategies for effective instruction, and explore resources to support professional development.

The workshop provides opportunities for participants to learn from and collaborate with their peers, sharing best practices and strategies for effective CS instruction. The networking activities allow participants to connect with other CS educators, building relationships and expanding their professional networks.

CS and/or Cybersecurity Content Knowledge Level Required: Everyone. No prior knowledge required.

Presenters

Anita Debaralen

Anita F. Debarlaben is an Electrical Engineer who became an award-winning STEM educator. Anita has earned several awards, including the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Regional Award for Teaching Excellence. Her journey is complex, and she can relate to students from... Read More →

Todd Lash

Director of CS Teacher Education, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Todd Lash is the Director of Computer Science Teacher Education at the University of Illinois. Previously, he worked for twenty years as a K-5 classroom teacher, interventionist, library media specialist, and instructional coach for computer science and computational thinking. Todd’s... Read More →

Rudy Escobar

STEM and Computer Science Coordinator, Stanislaus County Office of Education

Rudy Escobar is a passionate STEM and Computer Science Coordinator with over a decade of experience advancing inclusive PreK–12 education. With expertise in computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics, physical computing, project-based learning, and NGSS-aligned science... Read More →

Keya Belt Robinson

Program Design and Innovation Manager, National Math and Science Initiative

Toni Dunlap

Computer Science Education Specialist, Texas Advanced Computing Center

Toni Dunlap joined the Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC) program at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) in August of 2024. Utilizing her prior knowledge and experience as a classroom teacher -- teaching computer science (CS) at the 6th - 12th grade level -- Toni develops... Read More →

Monday June 9, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
Brazos (Upstairs)

Broadening Participation, K-12