In the fall of 2019, a team of researchers formed to answer a series of questions in regard to CSE (Computer Science Education) graduate students. What career pathways existed for them and what did they envision for their futures? What opportunities had been presented and what barriers did they face? In seeking to answer such questions, an international community of 332 individuals across 23 different countries was established through networking and light outreach. Registrants were eager to participate, as often they may have lacked support in their own departments, and the community quickly grew. Students' strong interest in networking, mentoring, and increasing personal knowledge in this group, was evidenced by survey responses and participation in hosted events. While the initial project funding has ended, a handful of the graduate students who spearheaded elements of the research work such as analyzing the global CSEd career landscape, compiling institutional profiles, and analyzing the CSEd research landscape, have begun seeking support for their own CSE projects through connections made through the community network. So what becomes of said community now that our own project has ended? Our aim with this poster is, first to showcase this international accomplishment and also garner input and interest for a future home for the community.

Many K-12 educators who are new to computer science (CS) may have a lack of confidence or sense of intimidation when starting their CS teaching journey. To mitigate this, Massachusetts DESE contracted CSforMA to create a three-day "Introduction to Computer Science for Educators" workshop (ICSW) focused on CS fundamentals. The ICSW covered grade-level CS terminology and concepts including computational thinking, physical computing, and programming. Evaluation of the ICSW showed 98% of respondents reported increased knowledge of CS. In a survey administered later that summer, 100% of respondents who took the ICSW reported that it helped them better understand curriculum materials. This replicable, scalable, and successful ICSW model could benefit other State DoEs and CS professional development coordinators. This work also shows the benefits of using an external evaluator.

There is currently an existing gap between Computer Science Education (CSE/CSEd) academia and the industry (e.g., government, profit, non-profit organizations, and research centres). It was evident in the findings for our recent research, "Identifying Opportunities and Potential Roadblocks for CSEd Professionals," presented at the ICER 2021. We discovered that the industry is unaware of CSE as a discipline, and qualification requirements for jobs relevant to CSEd exclude CSEd expertise. On the other hand, our study revealed that graduate students are interested in industry jobs. Still, their advisors discourage them from considering such employment. This disarticulation negatively impacts students, academia, and industry. Graduate students are left with little or no information and guidance to develop their career pathways and use their learned skills. Innovative research from academia is developed as theory without application to the industry. Also, the industry does not benefit from the CSE research and expertise. This Birds-of-Feathers (BOF) will bring together academic faculty members, graduate students, and industry representatives to bridge the existing gap by discussing the challenges and potential solutions. For additional information, visit https://www.csedgrad.org/birds-of-a-feather.

The recent growth of computing education globally has resulted in a growing number of Computer Science Education (CSEd) graduate students. To support and make a global impact in computing education, there is a need for these graduates to be in a diversity of careers/roles both within and beyond academia. Currently pursuing a CSEd PhD requires a leap of faith that one can overcome issues not only associated with pioneering a new discipline within the host institution but also is often undertaken without knowing what career opportunities will be available upon graduation. Surveys conducted in Spring 2020 and 2021 with graduate students and advisors document these challenges [3].

As undergraduate enrollment in computer science (CS) courses continues to expand, concerns surrounding the supply of instructors and the quality of instruction become even more salient. Similarly, computing education and computational thinking programs are expanding in K12 schools but are hampered by concerns over teacher training and curriculum efficacy. This project sought to answer a question: is there a need for a more robust system of networking and resources for computer science education (CSEd) graduate students' The large response to initial community-building efforts indicates that this is likely the case. In just over one year, a global community of 190 graduate students and 90 CS faculty researchers and advisors have registered for a CSEd graduate focused community. Participant funding, while originally intended for in-person conference attendance and face-to-face meetings, has enabled this project to create study groups attended by 73 students and a virtual conference with 101 participants. These activities were established as a result of a needs assessment survey conducted in early 2020. This poster documents the rapid growth of this community and the need students feel for systematic support.