SUMMARY: This program is focused on helping students learn computer science and be equipped with the computational thinking skills they need to be creators in the digital economy. Projects should explore innovative solutions to computer science and computational thinking education at all levels in the preK-12 education setting. These may be separate courses or integrated into broader science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational initiatives.
Applicants are researcher-practitioner partnerships building knowledge about how to provide computer science and computational thinking formal learning at elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. These partnerships must involve well-organized teams of academic researchers and preK-12 practitioners (teachers, administrators, and counselors), possibly augmented with other community, foundation, policy, and industry partners. Ultimately, the goal of any project is to implement and analyze projects to further the scientific literature in relation to computer science and computational thinking education.
Projects can be in one of four strands:
- PreK-8 Strand: focus on designing, developing, and piloting instructional materials that integrate computer science and/or computational thinking into preK-8 classrooms
- High School Strand: focus on preparing and supporting teachers to teach rigorous computer science courses
- PreK-12 Pathways Strand: focus on designing pathways that support school districts in developing policies and systems for incorporating computer science and/or computational thinking across all grades and potentially the transition into introductory levels at community or four-year institutions of higher education and/or the workforce
- Research Strand: focus on building strategically instrumental, or “high-leverage,” knowledge about the learning and teaching of introductory computer science to support key computer science and/or computational understandings and abilities for all students
DEADLINE: Applications are to be submitted by February 11, 2026. A similar deadline is anticipated annually.
ELIGIBILITY: All capable entities can apply. Applicants to the PreK-8 Strand, High School Strand, and PreK-12 Pathways Strand must be researcher-practitioner partnerships. Applicants to the Research Strand may be any qualified research entity. Competitive applicants are usually partnerships of a research institute of higher education with a school district.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: [https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/csforall-research-rpps-computer-science-all]