The 2021 CSforALL Summit is confirmed to be held virtually on October 19th and 20th
WHAT’S THE CSforALL SUMMIT:
The CSforALL Summit is an annual convening of the national community of computer science educators, researchers, and activists to mark progress and announce new commitments to reach the goal of access to rigorous, inclusive, and sustainable computer science education for all United States students.
WHY WAS THE DECISION MADE TO HOLD THE 2021 CSforALL SUMMIT VIRTUALLY?
As we enter the middle of summer 2021, CSforALL understands that the pandemic has not ended, many individuals have been vaccinated and some haven’t. We as a nation have not reached herd immunity, however, we are regaining normalcy in many elements of our lives.
The decision to hold this year’s CSforALL Summit virtually includes those known facts, along with prioritizing the safety and health of our staff, attendees, and stakeholders, and acknowledging that travel restrictions for community members are situational due to various factors.
HOW WAS THIS DECISION MADE?
The decision to host this year’s CSforALL Summit virtually was made in a collaborative manner with the CSforALL team and the Computer Science for ALL community. CSforALL opened a public survey in April to collect personal and professional input from individuals about their thoughts on whether the 2021 CSforALL Summit should be virtual, in-person, or hybrid. Questions varied from in-person event size to travel restrictions, and CSforALL collected close to 200 responses from school districts, universities, CSforALL members, tech organizations, and more.
“The safety and comfort of our community members are of the utmost importance to us at CSforALL. To evaluate if the CS community was ready to participate in an in-person convening, we determined that a data-driven decision was the best option,” said Camie Belgrave, Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships. “We asked and you answered! We heard from you and will do our best to ensure that you get the same type of high-quality experience at our virtual 2021 CSforALL Summit that we have continuously provided at our in-person gatherings.”
With the data collected from the external survey, our internal team’s survey, and the CDC’s COVID health guidelines, the CSforALL team has made the decision to host a two-day virtual event on October 19th and 20th.
As much as we would have loved to see you in Memphis this year, the health and safety of our attendees, partners, and staff will continue to be our number one priority.
“While we understand the community’s desire to engage and collaborate in-person around our CSforALL shared vision, the comfort and safety of the community is a high priority for us,” said Leigh Ann DeLyser, Executive Director, CSforALL. “Our plan for this year’s virtual CSforALL Summit agenda will include spaces for all types of conversations that will help us stay connected as we look forward to 2022.”
WHEN IS THE VIRTUAL SUMMIT GOING TO HAPPEN?
We’re thrilled to announce that the 2021 CSforALL Summit will be held on Tuesday, October 19th and Wednesday, October 20th. Stay tuned for more information around session times.
HOW ARE YOU MAKING THIS EVENT ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE?
As we continue to climb out of a global pandemic, we recognize that organizations, states, school districts, and individuals have budgetary restrictions. We hope that our virtual event will alleviate some geographic and financial barriers for our attendees and stakeholders.
As we continue to select our virtual platform, our must-have elements include live captioning and/or real-time ASL translations. Additionally, the recording of the event will display accurate captions before it is shared out afterwards.
Participants will be asked to share on the registration form.
CAN WE PARTNER OR SPONSOR?
Yes! As in previous CSforALL Summits, CSforALL is excited to collaborate and partner with stakeholders, organizations, and individuals that are interested in supporting the national mission of bringing high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable computer science education to all students. See our 2019 Summit supporters, here.
Stay tuned for full access to our 2021 prospectus. For any questions or inquiries about sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Megan Hildebrand at megan@CSforALL.org.
ARE COMMITMENTS STILL GOING TO BE ANNOUNCED?
Yes! We are extremely excited to announce the fifth year of CSforALL Commitments at this year’s Summit in October. This year’s theme is Change Happens with Partnerships in Places, we will be announcing and highlighting organizations that make Commitments in these five categories:
- Raise Awareness
- Build Capacity
- Increase Equitable Access and Outcomes
- Pandemic Response
- Racial Equity
At our 2020 CSforALL Commitments Showcase, the national Computer Science Education community announced 165 new efforts from 127 organizations to advance computer science education access and opportunity for youth across the United States and beyond.
Our 2019 Summit garnered over 250 new CS education commitments from over 171 organizations, launching millions of CS education opportunities for youth and educators.
For additional information or questions, please contact: summit@csforall.org
