Creative Coding & Storytelling 2025

July 21 – July 25, 2025 with video-make up options

40 hours of online PD with Certification (NY CTLE credits eligible)

100% FREE for K-12 US public/charter educators & librarians

Pathfinders Summer Institute 2025

Welcome to a 5-day (40-hour) professional development course designed to equip K–12 educators (Grades 2–12) with the skills to integrate coding, digital storytelling, and responsible AI use into their classrooms.

What You’ll Experience:

Project-Based Learning: Learn key coding concepts—functions, variables, branching, and Boolean logic—while creating animations, interactive stories, quizzes, and escape room games. Transform traditional writing into dynamic digital projects that engage reluctant writers.

Cross-Curricular Integration: Blend creative coding with subjects like ELA, Science, and Social Studies to design fun, interdisciplinary projects that spark creativity and critical thinking.

Collaborative Educator Community: Work with fellow teachers to collaboratively code and customize lessons for your students while gaining insights from expert-led panels on AI in education, digital literacy, and inclusive learning.

Classroom-Ready Resources:

Walk away with custom, AI powered lesson plans and immediately applicable projects to engage your students. Plus, enjoy a FREE upgrade to our Educator Plan ($96 value)!

No prior coding experience required! Transform how you bring technology, storytelling, and creativity into your classroom.

Day 1 Panel - Gen Alpha: Literacy and Beyond
Day 2 Panel - Amplifying Voices in CS & Education
Day 3 Panel - Empowering Teachers & Students with AI
Day 4 Panel - Learning Diversity to Support All Leaners
Day 5 Panel - Coding Confidence with Maker Mindset
Day 1 - Why Coding? Dispelling Myths in the Classroom
Day 1 - Code Your Story: Interactive About Me
Day 1- Animate & Captivate: Bringing Stories to Life
Day 1 - Graphic Novelist Jasmine Florentine. Why Graphic Novels?
Day 1 Interactive Graphic Novel Choose Your Own Adventure
Day 3 - Designing with AI: Smarter Lesson Planning
Day 3 - Culturally Responsive Coding & Storytelling
Day 3 - Coding for a Cause: Sustainability Projects
Day 3 - DigCit Global Impactor: Using Tech for Good

Eligibility & Registration

Who Can Apply

Open to K12 U.S. public school teachers (including charter school teachers), public librarians, and district tech specialists

Costs

Entirely FREE thanks to funding from Infosys Foundation USA.

Note: Each educator can only register for ONE 2025 Pathfinders summer course for free.

How to Apply

Create a free account on the Pathfinders Online Portal

Deadline

Submit by May 31st, 2025

Spots are Limited!

Creative Coding & Storytelling PD

Apply Now

Course Overview

Course Dates

Dates: July 21 - July 25

Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET (video make up available)

Credit Hours:

40 hour certificate.

New York CTLE: This course is eligible for 40 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credits. Enroll here .

Pre-requisites:

No prerequisites. No coding experience needed. All skill levels are welcome!

Grades:

Geared towards 2nd to 12th grade educators, librarians, and district tech specialists.

Format:

This course is a 40-hour (35 synchronous and 5-hour asynchronous) course.

Live Zoom sessions with hands on projects and panel discussions.

Note: Video make-up will be made available if a day or time does not work for you.

Community Slack space for educators to discuss, share, and further interact with each other.

Optional live-streamed showcase at the end of the course highlighting projects and lessons.

Course Schedule

July 21st

Foundations & Graphic Novel Create Your Own Adventure

Why Coding? Dispelling Myths in the Classroom

Coding isn’t just for computer scientists—it’s a creative tool for all subjects! This session breaks down common misconception. Discover how coding enhances storytelling, engages reluctant writers, and fosters critical thinking. Hear from educators who started with zero coding experience and have found success.

Code Your Story: Interactive About Me

Animate & Captivate: Bringing Stories to Life

Graphic Novelist Jasmine Florentine – Why Graphic Novels?

Graphic Novel: Create Your Own Adventure

Panel Discussion - Educating Gen Alpha

July 22nd

Advancing Coding & Interactive Experiences

Voice-Activated Maze: Navigating with Speech

Building a Personality Quiz OR Open-Ended Storytelling

Virtual Pet: Coding Behavior & Random Events

Escape the Locked Room: Boolean Logic & Interactive Fiction

Panel Discussion - Amplifying Underrepresented Voices in Education

July 23rd

AI, Culturally Responsive Storytelling & Coding for a Cause

Designing with AI: Smarter Lesson Planning

Culturally Responsive Coding & Storytelling

Coding for a Cause: Interactive Solutions for Change

Panel Discussion - Empowering Teachers and Students with AI

July 24th

Digital Citizenship, AI-Powered Puzzle Design & Escape Rooms

DigCit Global Impactor: Using Tech for Good

Escape Room Design: Puzzle Types & Flow

AI-Powered Puzzle Brainstorming

Build Your Escape Room Game

Games as a Tool for Learning

Panel Discussion - Learning Diversity to Support All Learners

July 25th

Capstone Creation & Lesson Design

Standards, Simplified: Mapping Coding to Curriculum

AI-Enhanced Backward Design

Capstone Creation: Building Your Cross-Curricular Coding Lesson

Panel Discussion - Building Coding Confidence with Maker Mindset

Speakers

Nicole Li

Co-founder of Elementari, MIT alum, teacher

Paige Besthoff

CSTA award-winning CS educator with 25+ years of experience

Jasmine Florentine

Design Engineer & Graphic Novelist. Engaging kids with STEM through stories.

Dr. Mary Payton

STEM Educator with 30+ years of experience, Author, Speaker

Louana Prunty

Middle School Social Studies Teacher, 14 years in classroom

Gail G. Powell

Elementary and Middle School Teacher of 42 years in 5 states

Dr. Jennifer Williams

Executive Director of Take Action Global, Global Educator 30 years

Victor Hicks

Founder, CEO and Lead Instructor-Coding with Culture

Yaritza Villalba

Founder McKenzie's Adventures, Award winning Global Ed Consultant

Rachelle Dené Poth

Spanish & STEAM Teacher, Consultant, Attorney, 25+ years in classroom

Dr. Desiree Alexander

Founder Educator Alexander Consulting & Deputy Director of Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana

Michael Drezek

District Technology Integrator, Lake Shore CSD

Dr. Marialice B.F.X. Curran

Founder Digital Citizenship Institute. Associate Professor, Principal, Teacher, & Consultant.

Deann Poleon

English Teacher, Technology Integrator 25 years in Education

Laura Steinbrink

ELA Teacher, 29+ years in the classroom

Linda Johnson

Arts Integration and Music Educational Consultant, Songwriter and Author

Staci Lapis M.Ed

Digital learning specialist with 10+ years

Katie McNamara

High School Teacher Librarian. 28 years teaching.

Jackie Weber

STEM Curriculum & Instruction Expert, 27 years in STEM education & leadership

Laurie Guyon

Lead Coordinator for Instructional Technology Programs, 17 years in edtech

About Infosys Foundation USA

Infosys Foundation USA, committed to expanding access to computer science and maker education in K-12 public schools across the U.S., offers k-12 public school teachers across the US the ability to apply for their Pathfinders Institute twice each year. Special consideration will be given to teachers from high-needs schools and under-represented communities, those new to teaching CS and maker education, and to districts that demonstrate a commitment to sending multiple teachers to Pathfinders.

Please share this with any US-based public or charter school teachers and librarians that you think may be interested. We hope you will be able to join us!

Applications due by: May 31st, 2025