How to use and access CS First
Accessing CS First without setting up a class
All of our content and materials are free and accessible online. Teachers do not need to have a CS First account or need to set up a CS First class to access the curriculum or materials.
How you might use CS First
Click on a role below to expand.
Teacher
Set up a CS First class and incorporate it:
- during the school day.
- as part of enrichment time.
- after school.
- as part of a summer program.
- as part of a home school program.
- however it best works for you.
To get started, set up a class online.
Parent
- Access student and teacher content online without setting up a class (see Accessing CS First without setting up a class section). You can work through themes and activities with your children at your own pace.
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Advocate to bring CS First to your children’s school. For more information on how to do this, check out our Advocate resources.
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Set up a CS First class and incorporate it as part of a home school program, or host a neighborhood class and invite friends, neighbors, or family to join you. To get started, set up a class online.
Student
- Create CS First projects without being part of a class (see Accessing CS First without setting up a class section). You can work through the themes at your own pace.
- Ask (or ask your parents to help you) bring CS First to your school. For more information on how to do this, check out our Advocate resources.
Other
Anyone can use and participate in CS First. Check out the following articles for more information.
Launch CS First throughout your network
Organizations that can launch CS First at scale include:
- School districts
- Libraries
- Summer programs
- Local and national non-profits
- Community centers
- and more!
You can launch CS First at scale by following these steps:
1) Identify your CS First class location and teacher(s)
- CS First Teachers can be volunteer teachers, community members, parents, adult members of your organization, local high school or college students, etc. Anyone can host, and no coding experience is needed.
- Each class needs at least one person to set up and teach the class.
- Share training resources with the teachers who will be leading the class.
- Coordinate class dates and times with your teachers’ availability.
2) Explore the curriculum and decide what theme(s) you will use
- Review the curriculum and try out student activities. Themes include Sports, Art, Storytelling, Music, Game Design and more – there is something for everyone.
- We recommend selecting one theme per class. This provides space for students to be social and collaborate, and the teacher can focus on one set of solutions at a time.
- There is no limit to the number of classes you can run. After completing one, try a new theme for the next!
3) Create a class and order materials
- Have your CS First Teachers visit the CS First website to sign in and set up a class.
- If a teacher would like more than seven kits, please contact us with the following information:
- Organization name
- Where your class will be located (Country, City, State)
- The number of students you intend to reach
We will review these and if an exception is granted, you will be issued a code to enter so you can order more than seven print kits.
- Kits come in sets of 30 and will be shipped to each class host within a few days of the class’s start date. You can also download and print extra sets of materials (passports, lesson plans, and solution sheets) on your own at any time!
- If you are eager to review your materials ahead of time, visit the curriculum page and click on Lesson Plans or Digital Materials below your theme's description.
4) Market your class and sign students up
- Feel free to download and distribute this flyer to help spread the word.
- Marketing ideas
- Create something unique and specific to your audience community. For example, profile local professionals that have a CS education or use computer science in their daily jobs.
- Connect with local businesses or community centers to host a launch event and encourage sign-ups that day.
- Interview students, parents, and teachers about how excited they are to participate in CS First, then circulate the video on social media.
5) Have a great time teaching kids to code with CS First!
- "CS First builds a community of volunteers and mentors while providing opportunities for students to learn the many applications of computer science," – Jenell Leonard, commissioner of the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office
- "Offering children computer science activities in a relaxed, informal setting will stimulate their natural curiosity and help develop skills that will be useful to them throughout their academic and professional lives," – Dennis Walcott, Queens Library CEO
Creative Commons License
Transforming CS First Content
CS First content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
If you use or transform this material in any way, you must distribute your contributions under the same license.
If you're unsure about your use of this content, consult with a legal professional.
Charging a fee for your class
CS First is a free tool and resource that we've developed with several objectives, one of them being to provide computer science education to all students in an accessible way.
It's our hope that students don't face any barriers to participating in CS First, but charging a fee is ultimately your decision.
You can read more about the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.