CS Summer of Fun 2025

Computer Science carries with it a stereotype about the kind of person that is best suited for being a successful computer scientist. Learners of all ages tend to assume that if they lack a singular obsession with all things computers, then they are not capable of learning computer science. This session shares research findings on nontraditional pathways into computer science careers. Participants will workshop methods for highlighting nontraditional pathways into computer science to encourage more diverse enrollment in computer science classes and interest in computer science as a subject. This session targets computer science educators of all expertise, but particularly those looking to convince middle and high school students that they might enjoy computer science from a different perspective. As children transition into adolescence, stereotypes around computer science expertise can push them away from learning more about the subject. While not every student needs to grow up to be a professional computer scientist, every student should at least learn enough about computer science to ensure they can live autonomously in a technology-dependent society once moving on to college. This workshop will open with a brainstorming session on current stereotypes around computer scientists, and then review research into those stereotypes as well as stereotype threat as a phenomenon in CS education. Then, the workshop will move to brainstorming different interests that might tie into computer science that are less commonly associated with it. Workshop participants will collaborate in breakout groups to create a pitch for learning computer science that leverages a unique interest or career separate from the field of computer science. The session will end with participants sharing those pitches.