CSTANJ CSPDWeek 2026: Full Schedule

CSPDWeek 2026

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

9:00am EDT

CSTANJ CSPDWeek 2026 Orientation

Monday June 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

If you missed orientation you can watch the recording by clicking Open Zoom.

Orientation does not count toward your hours.

Get a thorough, practical understanding of everything you can expect during CSPDWeek — from the day-to-day schedule and the kinds of learning experiences offered to the policies, procedures, and small details that make the week run smoothly.

Learn, step by step, how to review the available workshops and presentations so you can intentionally select the sessions that best match your professional goals, content area, and preferred learning formats.
Find out how to verify that the sessions you selected are assigned to the correct grade band(s) for which you need credit or experience, and confirm that your personal schedule reflects those assignments.
You will also learn how to make sure you meet all requirements for receiving a stipend: what documentation you should retain, how attendance and participation are tracked, any post-session reflections or surveys that must be submitted, and any minimums (for example, number of hours or specific session types) that commonly factor into stipend eligibility.
Throughout, you’ll get practical tips for making the most of your attendance at the conference.

This session will be recorded if you are unable to attend

Speakers

Paige Besthoff

CSPDWeek Project Manager, CSTANJ Vice President, Professional Learning Resource Designer, Teach Me For Tomorrow

Paige taught K-12 computers for over 25 years and designed her district’s K-5 CS curriculum based on the CSTA and NJ standards. She is the founder of Teach Me For Tomorrow, where she designs lessons and supplemental resources for popular programming platforms and facilitates computer... Read More →

Alicia Somers

Teacher/Special Education Teacher

My name is Alicia Somers. I am an educator with 29 years of experience teaching both special education and general education students, ranging from preschool through second grade. I hold a P-3 license, K-5 license and Teacher of the Handicapped N-12. I have a Master's in Education... Read More →

Lori Steinhauser

Vice Principal, Technology Integrator, Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Christ the Teacher Academy

Jessica LaRosa

Teacher of Technology & Innovation, Trenton Public Schools

Jessica LaRosa is a Technology & Innovation teacher at Grace A. Dunn Middle School in Trenton, New Jersey. She has over 13 years of experience in computer and technology education, 7 years of experience as a business teacher, and 3 years of experience as a curriculum writer. She creates... Read More →

Kara Keefe

Technology Teacher (K-5), Willingboro Public Schools

Kara Keefe is a Technology Teacher in Willingboro NJ. She currently teaches technology to grades K to 4th grade in one of the elementary schools. Kara has been teaching Technology for the last for the past 12 years to as low as Kindergarten to as high as 5th grade.

Sharon Phillips

CS Teacher, Somerset County Vo Tech High School

Sharon Phillips is a computer science educator, technology coordinator and mentor with teaching experience across charter, private, and public school settings serving PreK–12 students.

Monday June 29, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Virtual

Collaboration, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin

Company Virtual

8:00am EDT

Opening Session

Monday August 3, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

TCNJ, BSC 100 @ 2000 Pennington Rd, Ewing Township, NJ 08618, USA

Kick off CSPDWeek 2026 with a morning of connection and inspiration. Join us for check-in and a light breakfast, followed by opening remarks from CSTANJ and NJDOE Office of Innovation leadership. The session will conclude with our featured keynote address to set the stage for a week of innovation in computer science education.

Speakers

Paige Besthoff

CSPDWeek Project Manager, CSTANJ Vice President, Professional Learning Resource Designer, Teach Me For Tomorrow

Michelle Wendt

Technology Integrationist and Adjunct Instructor, Stockton University ETTC

Michelle Wendt is a Technology Integrationist and Adjunct Instructor at Stockton University. She holds a Master of Education in Instructional Technology and a long background in K-12 education. Michelle provides professional development programs to teachers to help them effectively... Read More →

Sponsors

CSTANJ

Computer Science Teachers Association, New Jersey

Monday August 3, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
TCNJ, BSC 100

Networking, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin | Collaboration, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin

Company In-person

11:00am EDT

Book Swap

LIMITED

Monday August 3, 2026 11:00am - 11:55am EDT

TCNJ, SSB 105 @ 2000 Pennington Rd, Ewing Township, NJ 08618, USA

Limited Capacity seats available

Come participate in CSTA NJ's first book swap! Participants can come bring 1 to 3 books and participate in a book swap. There will be categories for the different tables including the grade levels and professional learning.

The CSTANJ Book Swap is an exciting opportunity for educators to connect, collaborate, and expand their classroom libraries while exploring the important role literacy plays in Computer Science and STEM education. Participants are invited to bring one to three books to exchange with fellow educators in a welcoming, community-focused environment. Organized tables by grade level and professional learning topics will help attendees discover new resources that support computational thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and cross-curricular learning in engaging and accessible ways.

This session highlights how literacy can strengthen CS and STEM instruction by using books to introduce complex concepts, spark curiosity, support diverse learners, and encourage meaningful classroom discussions. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore picture books, nonfiction texts, professional resources, and instructional materials that can be integrated into coding lessons, engineering challenges, maker activities, and technology instruction. The session will also encourage conversations around inclusive teaching practices, literacy integration, and strategies for making STEM learning more approachable for all students.

In addition to participating in the book swap, educators will leave with new instructional ideas, expanded professional connections, and inspiration for integrating literacy-rich experiences into their CS and STEM classrooms. Whether participants are classroom teachers, librarians, technology teachers, STEM educators, or instructional coaches, this collaborative session will provide practical resources and fresh ideas that support both student engagement and professional growth.

Speakers

Samantha Selikoff

District STEM Teacher, Rockaway Borough School District

Samantha Selikoff, a TCNJ alum, is an educator and ed tech coach who teaches STEM and 4th–5th grade Media. A passionate reader, she visits local bookstores wherever she travels. Her work blends engineering, coding, film, and financial literacy to inspire students through creativity... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2026 11:00am - 11:55am EDT
TCNJ, SSB 105

Collaboration, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin

Company In-person

12:00pm EDT

How to organize, implement and improve a Hackathon in your school

Wednesday August 5, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Virtual @ 2000 Pennington Rd, Ewing Township, NJ 08618, USA

Hackathons are an educational tool, because not only does a problem get identified but the solution to the problem is often one that requires vast research. When the solution is implemented using student interest, it can provide the community with awareness to the problem posed and the solution created.

Running a Hackathon may sound overwhelming, especially if one has not been run in your school before. This workshop will provide you with details and guidelines necessary to run a hackathon in your school. Hackathons are an educational tool, if implemented using student interest and community problems can be very effective in educations attendees on solving problems using computer science. Hackathons should be passion driven, propose a solution to a problem in the community and educate the community members on the problem and proposed solution. From this workshop, you will gain knowledge on how to create, implement and improve a hackathon in your school.

Speakers

Yasemin Kinak

CS Teacher, Carteret High School

Yasemin Kinak is a 9-12 Math and Computer Science teacher at Carteret High School. She has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and a Masters Degree in Mathematics with a concentration in secondary education. She has been teaching for over 20 years and has created and developed... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Virtual

How to Run a Hackathon, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin | Digital Tools, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin | Digital Citizenship, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin | Collaboration, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin

Company Virtual

3:30pm EDT

CSPDWeek NJ 2026: Virtual Wrap-Up & Celebration

Thursday August 6, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT

Virtual @ 2000 Pennington Rd, Ewing Township, NJ 08618, USA

💻CSPDWeek NJ 2026: Virtual Wrap-Up & Celebration! 🎊

Don’t sign off just yet! Stick around immediately following Carter Moulton’s Keynote for our official virtual grand finale. We’re closing out our sixth annual NJ CSPDWeek by celebrating the incredible "AI-ready" foundations you’ve built all week long.

What to Expect:
The Victory Lap: A high-energy recap of our best moments and breakthroughs from across the Garden State.
Next Steps: Quick, clear instructions on how to access your 2026-27 PD resources and stay connected with your new CS network.
Stipend Essentials: You will receive a post-conference survey via email. Please note that this survey must be completed to qualify for your $900 stipend!
The Launch: We’ll send you off inspired and ready to bring inclusive, cutting-edge CS to your students this fall.

Let’s end the week on a high note together—see you in the main virtual room!

Speakers

Paige Besthoff

CSPDWeek Project Manager, CSTANJ Vice President, Professional Learning Resource Designer, Teach Me For Tomorrow

Sponsors

CSTANJ

Computer Science Teachers Association, New Jersey

Thursday August 6, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Virtual

Networking, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin | Collaboration, PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Admin

Company Virtual

9:00am EDT

8:00am EDT

11:00am EDT

12:00pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

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