WeTeach_CS Summit 2026

Recruiting students into computer science is only the first step. Retaining them requires a sense of belonging. In this session, educators will explore how classroom culture, instructional language, and daily routines directly impact whether students feel they belong in CS. Participants will learn how belonging functions as a core component of the curriculum, not an add-on. Through real classroom scenarios and collaborative discussion, educators will leave with actionable strategies to create CS learning environments where students feel valued, capable, and motivated to persist.

Rural Texas schools serve a significant and diverse student population, yet they remain largely underrepresented in the expansion of K-12 AI and computer science education. This session draws on a panel of Texas educators and partners that are deeply engaged with this work as well as emerging national and Texas-specific research to examine the structural and narrative barriers that limit access in rural communities.

Panelists will explore how the unique challenges and a lack of qualified CS educators compound to create persistent gaps in rural schools. The session will also challenge deficit-based narratives by spotlighting the innovation already happening in rural Texas classrooms — innovation that too often goes unrecognized and under-resourced.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the policy levers and community assets that can drive sustainable progress, including place-based partnerships and strategies for amplifying rural voices in the AI and CS education conversation. This session is designed for teachers, administrators, district leaders, university partners, and policymakers who are committed to building CS pathways for every student, including those in the smallest and most geographically isolated schools in Texas.

I Think I Can: Applying Self-Efficacy to Build Persistence and Leadership in CS Pathways reframes student disengagement in computer science as a belief and identity challenge, not a lack of interest. Grounded in Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy, this session equips educators with practical strategies to intentionally build student confidence, self-advocacy, and persistence in CS pathways. Participants will examine how instructional design, feedback, and messaging shape students’ beliefs about belonging and capability, and will leave with actionable tools to strengthen leadership identity and retention across K–12 CS programs.

Building students’ sense of belonging is critical to recruiting, engaging, and retaining them in
computer science (CS). When students feel they belong, they are ready to engage on a
deeper level. However, girls often feel they do not belong in CS classes. Our research lab has
been studying when and why these gender gaps emerge in CS to help teachers address
them. Teachers will be presented with research findings in a simple, actionable, and fun way
to discuss in a community of practice. Teachers will leave with an action plan to promote
their students' belonging.