The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) supports staff development in Computer Science (CS) in accordance with state mandates to address student needs. Support services are provided at the school-, district-, and county-wide levels through workshops, seminars, conferences, projects, and institutes. SMCOE also offers less formal support by providing information to teachers and administrators, initiating collaborations and assisting parents, and sharing resources.

SMCOE commits to providing all students in San Mateo County equitable access to quality computer science education, and recognizes that schools throughout our county represent a diverse teacher and student population with a wide range of strengths and needs.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

Seasons of CS

Seasons of CS is a research-backed professional learning model for California K-12 educators, paraprofessionals, administrators, and counselors who are interested in bringing computer science to their students. This program aims to expand the capacity for equitable, scalable, and sustainable computer science education in California.

Find upcoming events on the Seasons of CS website.

Announcements/Ongoing

  • Join the San Mateo Chapter of the CSTA (Computer Science Teachers Association - The largest computer science department in the world!): Free Membership
  • What does it take to get young girls into tech? Connect with #BootUpPD through their new video series #ForGirlsbyGirls, where, each month, they spotlight young girls doing extraordinary things in STEM, coding, tech, and beyond! https://bit.ly/3lb21dK
  • The BayICT Partnership is a collaboration between Bay Area community colleges, tech companies, and community organizations. Check out their site for their resources to support students through work-based learning and connect faculty with industry experts and resources. 
  • Bay Area Cyber League coordinates Summer CyberCamps and Fall & Spring Cybersecurity Competitions for high school and community college students in the greater Bay Area region.
  • CSEdResearch created an Extended CAPE Codebook: The codebook considers subcomponents of each CAPE component, categories of subcomponents and subcategories. This codebook has been used in several projects, including to conduct a gap analysis of existing literature.
  • Note from the California Department of Education's Computer Science Coordinator, Katherine Goyette: Your voice matters! In seeking to better support computer science education in California, I’d love to hear your perspective. Feel free to complete this optional survey and/or sign up for a “Chat with Kat.” 

For Teachers and/or Administrators

CS Education Discussion Group

Are you interested in learning more about recent research in CS education and how it might be useful to your classrooms? Join the CS Education Discussion Group! The CS Education Discussion Group is a weekly group for those who would like to learn more about ongoing research in CS education and discuss it in the context of your own experiences and unique classroom settings.

Opportunities Related to Artificial Intelligence

For Students

  • ICT Tech Talks: The BayICT Tech Talks are a series of virtual talks and Q&A with ICT industry professionals about their roles, experience, and personal career path. Tech Talks are one-hour Zoom meetings, scheduled twice per month (usually a Monday or Tuesday) at 6:00pm Pacific.  
  • Applications are open for the next cohorts of STEAM in AI, a virtual program with options for grades 7-12 & college freshmen/sophomores.

Gwen Lei

Executive Director, Curriculum & Instruction Services

Email: glei@smcoe.org

Phone: (650) 802-5624