In addition to participating in high-quality computer science professional learning activities at no cost, eligible California educators may opt-in to receive a stipend for fully and actively participating in Seasons of CS offerings. Stipends are funded by the California Department of Education’s Educator Workforce Investment Grant for Computer Science (EWIG:CS Seasons of CS). The amount of the stipends varies, based on the duration and intensity of the professional learning experience. Payment for regional workshops will be coordinated with your county’s Office of Education. 

Capacity Constraints For Summer and Orientation Workshops

Due to capacity constraints, participants were allowed to choose only one 2024 summer workshop when they enrolled. For the 3-hour Orientation Workshops, a participant can earn more than one stipend by fully and actively participating in more than one 3-hour Orientation Workshop. 

Eligibility Considerations for Seasons of CS Stipend

Educators can respond to the Stipend Opt-in question during the sign-in process at their Seasons of CS workshop, and at no other time. By opting in to receive a Seasons of CS stipend, you confirm you are eligible for one. Generally speaking, California public school K-12 educators participating in professional learning outside their normal work hours are eligible to receive a stipend. You should confirm this assumption with a school/district administrator. Workshop participants must have a completed Participation Agreement to be eligible for a stipend and travel reimbursement. 

It should be noted the receipt of a stipend constitutes a taxable event under the prevailing tax regulations. Parties involved must consider the implications of their individual tax obligations. 

Reasons you might not be eligible to receive a stipend (and do not need to opt-in to receive a stipend)

It is your responsibility to confirm your eligibility to receive a stipend. You may not receive a stipend if:

• You are not employed by a public school or local education agency in California.

• You are participating in professional learning while receiving a salary with your organization/district/school at the time of the professional learning.

• Your organization/district/school has a policy that prevents you from receiving stipends/gifts in addition to your salary.

• You did not "fully and actively" participate in the live/synchronous portion of the workshop.

• You are a private school educator, an expanded learning educator, a substitute teacher, or a pre-service teacher (as per the requirements of the EWIG:CS Seasons of CS grant).

Questions about the Seasons of CS workshops? Visit our FAQ page and/or email seasonsofcs@cdefoundation.org. Questions about the Seasons of CS stipends? Complete the Stipend Inquiry Form.

Stipend payments of $250 daily for full and active participation in your Summer of CS workshop will be processed after you complete the work associated with your Summer of CS Workshop.

• June 1 - June 30, 2024 Workshop Completion Date: Payment will occur by September 30, 2024.

• July 1 - Aug 16, 2024 Workshop Completion Date: Payment will occur by December 31, 2024.

All work must be completed and verified for a stipend to be paid. No partial payments will be processed. 

Who should attend and be paid a stipend for Academic Year Workshops? Academic Year Workshops provide Summer of CS participants an opportunity to reconnect with their summer cohort and they provide ongoing professional learning activities intended to extend the summer workshop experience with just-in-time content.  Educators who completed a Participation Agreement and who attended at least one day of their 2024 summer workshop are encouraged to attend Academic Year Workshops.

These follow-up workshops are offered in segments to support you as you integrate computer science at your site during the 2024/2025 school year.  

Each Academic Year Workshop Segment consists of 6 hours. A participant must complete all 6 hours of a segment to receive the participation incentive of $250 for that segment (there are no partial payments).  

• • Grades K-5 workshops have two academic year workshop segments that are 6 hours each and total 12 hours.

  • Grades 6-12 workshops have four academic year workshop segments that are 6 hours each and total 24 hours.

  • Each workshop has a unique schedule developed by its facilitator and county office of education (COE) CS champion. For reference, here are a few variations of a 6-hour segment that may include both synchronous and asynchronous sessions: 

    • 6 sessions that are 1 hour each = 1 total workshop segment

    • 4 sessions that are 1.5 hours each = 1 total workshop segment

    • 3 sessions that are 2 hours each = 1 total workshop segment

    • 2 sessions that are 3 hour each = 1 total workshop segment

    • 1 session that is 6 hours = 1 total workshop segment

Stipend Information:

To honor your time and energy as you participate in this series of follow-up workshops, you will earn a stipend for each 6-hour Academic Year Workshop segment with verified full and active participation in synchronous sessions and completing related asynchronous work. 

• Academic Year Workshops segments offer a stipend payment of $250 for completing all 6 hours of full and active participation in the segment. For example, if your Academic Year Workshop #1 is scheduled as four sessions that last 1.5 hours each, then you will receive a $250 stipend payment once your total 6 hours of synchronous/asynchronous work is completed and verified by your facilitator and county office regional lead (COE CS Champions) for Academic Year Workshop segment #1.

• Partial payments are not possible. Stipend payments will be made for completing all 6 hours of synchronous/asynchronous full and active participation in a segment and verified by your facilitator and county office regional lead per Academic Year Workshop segment. For example, if you complete 3 hours of work for Academic Year Workshop segment #1, you will not receive a stipend until you have completed another 3 hours of work for Academic Year Workshop segment #1, and it has been verified by your facilitator and county office regional lead. You cannot combine 3 hours of completed work for Academic Year Workshop segment #1 and 3 hours of completed work for Academic Year Workshop segment #2 to meet the 6-hour requirement for a $250 stipend.

Once your work is completed and your full and active participation is verified by your county office regional lead, you can expect to receive a stipend payment within 120 days.

The Seasons of CS workshops are designed to provide you with a quality professional learning experience that features an equity-minded focus on the California K-12 CS Standards, which include seven core practices “in which students actively engage…” while learning the standards:

• • Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture 

  • Collaborating Around Computing 

  • Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems 

  • Developing and Using Abstractions 

  • Creating Computational Artifacts 

  • Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts 

  • Communicating About Computing

Whether you choose to participate in person or virtually, our Seasons of CS workshops wholeheartedly integrate these practices into all aspects of our sessions. We value and respect your unique perspectives and contributions, and we're committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming space where everyone's voice is heard. Coordinators, providers, and facilitators of the Seasons of Workshop take great pride in designing collaborative experiences that are only made possible through the full and active participation of all workshop participants. Full participation includes but is not limited to being present for the time allotted for a given workshop, as well as attending to any applicable asynchronous activities that are assigned by the facilitator.  Active participation includes but is not limited to engaging with other participants and interacting with the facilitators and hosts of your workshop.

To receive a Seasons of CS stipend, your full and active participation is required.

At our virtual computer science professional learning workshops, we prioritize fostering an interactive and collaborative environment. These workshops are designed not only to impart standards-based knowledge and skills but also to provide California K-12 educators with the invaluable opportunity to connect with their peers who share a passion for computer science and educational technology.

Considering this, we have chosen not to admit AI companions, like Otter AI, into virtual Seasons of CS workshops. Our decision aligns with the expectations set by the California Department of Education, the funder of the Seasons of CS professional learning program.

Seasons of CS workshops - whether in-person or virtual - require full, live, and active participation to qualify for the stipend. We recognize that unique learning preferences differ. If you are interested in professional learning in CS, we encourage you to visit www.seasonsofcs.org, where a plethora of other learning opportunities await you.

Questions about participation stipends?
Review the FAQ and/or complete the Stipend Inquiry Form.