Launch_K5 CS workshop drops
A new 'Launch_K5 CS' workshop integrates computational thinking, cybersecurity, and AI for K‑5 educators and aligns with recent Texas standards. The program is pitched as a staff‑training resource that bundles foundational CS and safety concepts into K‑5 curriculum planning. (x.com/weteachcs/status/2034987329329184997)
The program is administered by the Texas Advanced Computing Center’s EPIC team through the WeTeach_CS professional‑development arm and uses a train‑the‑trainer model that includes a $3,000 stipend for trainers who deliver to at least 30 educators by the target deadline. Launch_K5 CS runs as a three‑day hybrid course with the third day delivered asynchronously and cohort work split into K‑2 and 3‑5 breakouts for grade‑specific materials. Completing a cohort qualifies classrooms to receive physical computing kits: K‑2 teachers are issued VEX 123 robot sets while 3‑5 classrooms receive BBC micro:bit V2 bundles and related accessories. The curriculum alignment is explicitly to the Technology Applications TEKS adopted in 2022 and phased in for the 2024–25 school year, with the TEKS now written at each grade level rather than broader grade bands. The inaugural Austin cohort included 26 educators and four trainers, and program materials list ready‑to‑use unplugged and plugged lesson plans plus block‑based coding and physical‑computing activities for classroom rollout. Regional education service centers and universities (ESC Region listings, Rice, St. Mary’s) hosted Launch_K5 sessions including a Region 11 offering on Feb 12–14, 2026, indicating active regional rollout through ESC networks.
