As a Girls Who Code ambassador, he’s introduced more than a hundred educators to the Girls Who Code club. These efforts support the development of a robust community of female students engaged with and excited to pursue computer science and other tech careers. Omar notes, “Educators who initially hesitated to engage in programming were inspired by the students' enthusiasm and the community's involvement, leading them to join the clubs in subsequent years.”

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Omar Shepherd, a project specialist in computer science with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

Read his profile now on The Voice: buff.ly/QQtiHbw

Sharisa hopes to find or create coaching opportunities for all the educators whose work touches students in the course of their education: support staff, librarians, counselors, and parents. “By developing professional and personal learning networks for these folks to connect, learn, and generate ideas, we give students a better chance of learning about CS and CS-related careers,” she says.

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Dr. Sharisa Chan, the associate director of curriculum, instruction, and professional development for UCLA Center X’s Computer Science Equity Project.

Read her profile now on The Voice: buff.ly/JQIEb2J

From Angela’s lived experience of needing to leave her homeland to obtain degrees in higher education and not having the option to return home to work professionally, Angela understands the unique opportunity computer science education (CS Ed) offers for Indigenous peoples to serve their communities while also having the choice to return home, to return to the language, to return and serve our families. To Angela, she says, “equity feels like being able to rest, assured that our native youth are provided the option to come home and work in a space that is created by and for Indigenous communities.”

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Angela Marquez, who advocates for Indigenous students in CS education.

Read her profile: buff.ly/FqVOT3x

2024-25 Equity Fellow Mark Godinez, he/him. One of Mark’s most effective strategies for creating a more equitable tech education environment has been building collaborative relationships with other educators and related organizations. He partnered with Code Art to create a girls’ coding club through the Migrant Education Program, and he maintains a strong relationship with NCWIT as well. Mark says, “My strength is leveraging partnerships and collaboration to tackle inequalities in computer science education. Through partnerships, a teacher can accomplish great things that cannot be done alone.”

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Mark Godinez, a high school computer science teacher leveraging partnerships and collaboration to tackle inequalities in computer science education.

Read more about Mark: buff.ly/M4w9VGT

Volunteer Spotlight, Leah Aiwohi. Conference Committee Member & Equity Fellow Alum. Quote: “They've expanded my network, pushed my thinking, and reminded me that change happens when educators come together with a shared purpose. CSTA has given me a space to lead, learn, and give back and I'm grateful for every moment of it.”

Meet Leah Aiwohi, a #CSTAEquityFellow alum from the #LiveFive cohort, and current conference committee volunteer. #VolunteerSpotlight

Read about her inspiring CSTA journey: buff.ly/ECSzKho

2024-25 Equity Fellow Roza Shaimurat, (she/her). “I’ve seen firsthand how access, encouragement, and a sense of belonging can completely shift a student’s confidence and curiosity,” Roza says. “This fellowship is about strengthening those pathways for more students—and helping more educators do the same.”

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Roza Shaimurat, a computer science teacher who seeks to integrate real-world STEM experiences, foster innovation, and empower students of all backgrounds.

Learn more about Roza: buff.ly/OCHbYTi

Transcribed text: Computational Thinking: Building Executive Function Skills for Success. Written by Verna Hiser.

When presented as a problem-solving strategy, computational thinking can assist students with executive function skills. #CSTAEquityFellow Verna Hiser details how on The Voice:
buff.ly/RFIXv6c

Transcribed text: Verna knows that neurodivergent, especially twice exceptional students may act out due to frustration, or they may successfully conceal their struggles through masking, or anywhere in between. Rather than let these students slip through the cracks, Verna has spent the last 15 years of her career identifying and advocating for them. “In the beginning,” she says, “it was an uphill battle explaining why a child who was struggling academically needed enrichment services.”

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Verna Hiser, an experienced educator providing inclusive computer science opportunities for gifted and neurodivergent students.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/UXjnIMB

Logo for the Voice. Image of Comp Sci High. Transcribed text: Exploring Computer Science Options at the High School Level, Written by Shilpa Agrawal.

#CSTAEquityFellow Shilpa Agrawal shares the CS pathways implemented at Comp Sci High, which were created with preparation, opportunity, and choice in mind.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/h2JvWOU

Shilpa aims to build a computing culture that not only accepts people with different backgrounds, but actively encourages them to bring their full selves to the table. “As a child of immigrants,” she says, “I know from personal experience the transformative impact of a teacher who sees a student for who she truly is—and celebrates, from a place of genuine understanding, the culture she belongs to.” One way of achieving this impact is to build, through active recruitment and training, a pipeline of diverse and passionate new CS teachers.

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Shilpa Agrawal, a founding staff member and current Director of Computer Science at Comp Sci High.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/XSsJM0d

How Educators Can Build Communities to Combat Underrepresentation in STEM. Written by April Pelfrey.

Facilitating connections with people who look like our students is crucial to encouraging a more inclusive STEM environment. #CSTAEquityFellow April Pelfrey offers impactful ways to connect students with industry professionals in her article.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/OiWHnz6

National Math and Science Initiative helps include girls in STEM education NMSI believes every person is a STEM person, and STEM camps, coding workshops, after-school programs, and free online communities like Scratch all help girls and explore outside of the classroom.

#CSTAEquityFellow Keya Belt Robinson recently appeared on Midday Maryland discussing the importance of building spaces for girls to achieve in STEM. Check it out! www.wmar2news.com/middaymaryla...

April taught at a school where more than half of the students were multilingual learners (MLLs). Many MLL students were struggling in introductory computer science courses, and their challenges were exacerbated by state-level changes that required an even more accelerated learning process, with the first two classes in the CS pathway being combined into a single course. Determined not to let her students lose their joy for CS, April worked with the curriculum assistant principal to design and pilot an introductory software course specifically for MLL students, which allowed students to engage with the material at a pace that would accommodate their language needs.

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow April Pelfrey, a second-career teacher and former US Department of Defense contractor specializing in geospatial intelligence.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/GPoGelt

A silly face wearing a party hat has been constructed out of paper. Next to it, a laptop is open, showing a recreation of the face using code. Transcribed text: Recasting computer science by Tess Ramsey.

When CS is narrowly typecast as ‘only about technology,’ students with other passions may view the subject as insular and uninviting. #CSTAEquityFellow Tess Ramsey sheds light on the broad application of CS—and why we should introduce our students to them.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/aTBgqTZ

Tess Ramsey (they/them) headshot. Transcribed text: When designing lessons, Tess takes special care to make tech feel concrete, to help students understand how CS, design, and engineering can improve their lives and the world around them. One of Tess’s most popular units—among students of all genders—focuses on electronic textiles and disrupts the gendered stereotypes connected with textile crafts and coding. In this unit, students create an e-textile “mixtape” bracelet that lets students play their favorite songs via a sewable buzzer.

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Tess Ramsey, a new media artist, technologist, and educator based in New York City.

Read now on The Voice: buff.ly/3EZ7Eb6

Decolonizing CS Education: Computer Science Literacy as a Vehicle for Equity. Written by Keya Belt Robinson. Photo of African Fractals.

#CSTAEquityFellow Keya Belt Robinson explores how to deprioritize Eurocentric thought-systems in CS and close the digital divide.

Read now on The Voice: https://buff.ly/3EuvkDT

When Keya’s daughter started kindergarten, she was non-verbal, and Keya taught her daughter to tell stories using ScratchJr. Seeing how much this supported Keya’s daughter, her teachers asked if Keya would be willing to create some ScratchJr lessons to help other students achieve their speech and OT goals. The results were impressive, with students gaining confidence in ScratchJr and sometimes even going on to learn Scratch. Keya says, “I saw my daughter pick up words, help other students, and find her place and value in a learning community. I also witnessed sheer genius in children who are not typically thought of as brilliant.”

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Keya Belt Robinson, passionate advocate for educational justice with a focus on enhancing STEM literacy. #EduSky

Read now on The Voice:
https://buff.ly/42NUw2o

When the Best Lessons Aren’t Planned, Written by Jade Solomon. Image of a student with a half built structure made out of straws and connectors.

What do you do when your lesson plan flies out the window? #CSTAEquityFellow Jade Solomon says to trust your students’ creativity and give them room to explore.

Read now on The Voice: https://buff.ly/42jysN3

Jade Solomon (she/her). Working in a school where 75% of students are Latinx and 75% are multi-language learners, Jade has made it her mission to use culturally relevant CS education to support her students’ education. This requires not just units that speak to her students’ backgrounds and interests, but true dedication to providing bilingual support. Over the last year, and with the support of an SF-CESS equity coach, she worked hard to translate all materials and provide resources and instructions in both English and Spanish for all her classes. She’s proactive about seeking out resources to ensure that her students feel represented and engaged in the coursework she offers.

Meet #CSTAEquityFellow Jade Solomon, a middle school computer science teacher who has worked hard to provide a bilingual education for her Latinx students.

Read now on the Voice: https://buff.ly/3E4XqFv

Unboxing CT

#CSTAEquityFellow Raymond Anacaya delves into the innovative project “Unboxing CT” and how it provides elementary teachers the tools they need to integrate CT principles into their daily teaching.

Read now on The Voice:

Could not be prouder of the CS HS students at my school and happier to work with another teacher just as psyched about CS as I am. CS Week Celebration Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3n... #csedweek #hourofcode #afeteacher #cstaequityfellow #csforall

I love my job & CS Ed Week! Why? Because I get to see what students create. I get to learn with them. #bestjob #csedweek www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNnS... from learning.google/computer-sci... #mainecsta #cstaequityfellow #afeteacher

Excited about our plans for #CSEdWeek ! The CS HS and teachers have put together an amazing schedule of guests, activities, and community events! #spsdme #cstamaine #cstaequityfellow #afeteacher #cs4all #hourofcode

Hi, @csteachersorg Members! Online ballot distribution for 2020 CSTA Board of Directors Elections began at noon today! I'd appreciate your votes for 9-12 Teacher Representative. It'll be a pleasure to serve you. #CSforAll #CSEd #CSTAEquityFellow @CSForIL @cs4allcps @exploringcs

10/11 BOTTOM LINE: Before I am a #CSTAEquityFellow, I am the Chief Equity Officer of my classroom. If any of my students is under-resourced or unsupported, then it’s my job to do something about it.