Exciting & Important Announcements Regarding CSTA Chapters!

Please Note:
If you received this message and are not a current leader of your Chapter, please forward to the appropriate officer. We are using the largest contact list we have in order to ensure that this important message reaches the widest and correct Chapter leaders.
Dear Chapter Leaders:

It was a pleasure seeing many of you last week at SIGCSE. I enjoyed hearing about what you are doing with your members and learning how CSTA can further assist you in advancing your Chapter missions. The timing of these conversations was perfect as CSTA has been developing a Chapter Revitalization Plan, which we are formally launching today.

A little background: Over the last 8 months, CSTA has been restructuring due to staff transition as well as the association's needs based on our plan for growth. We now have a centralized office in Albany, New York and a talented professional team that are working hard so CSTA can achieve its goals. In early February, the CSTA Board of Directors met for its meeting at our new headquarters and all agreed that with our new office now at full operation, one of CSTA's priorities would be fully reconnecting with our Chapters and providing assistance and training. In the weeks that followed, CSTA staff met with Chapter Liaison Fran Trees to develop the Chapter Revitalization Plan, which was reviewed by me and presented to the Board of Directors.

Over the course of the next 5 months, CSTA pledges to extend its direct contact with all of the Chapters, provide valuable updates and training, as well as provide assistance to Chapter leaders in order to promote the growth and prosperity of the Chapters.

Today's Chapter Update will focus on an overview of the plan and provide some important updates.
CSTA Chapter Revitalization Plan (CRP) - Phase 1
(March - July 2017)

Date
CSTA Action Item
Chapter Action Item
March 17, 2017
Launch of CRP & updates to Chapter leaders.
Confirmation of Chapter contacts & Chapter mailing address.
March 29, 2017
CSTA Giveaways & Supplies shipped to Chapters.
Confirm receipt of supply package.
April
Compilation of Chapter Leadership Manual
Respond to any CSTA inquiries or requests for clarifications.
April - May
Full Development of Chapter Resource Area on New Website, including training session of Chapter Leaders.
Participate in training sessions.
Late May/Early June
Final Review of Chapter Leadership Manual
Review manual and provide feedback.
July 8, 2017
Chapter Leadership Summit at CSTA Conference in Baltimore, incl. formal presentation of new Chapter Leadership Manual.
SAVE THE DATE, and register today for the conference!
 
New leaders/first-time attendees: apply for Oracle Scholarship starting April 1. You get first priority.
Post-Conference
July
Trainings to be developed based on Chapter Leader feedback at Conference.
Participate in additional trainings and provide feedback to CSTA.
August 1, 2017
Chapter Annual Reports due to CSTA.
A new, streamlined report form is being developed for your use.

As you can see, we have a lot planned, and our entire team looks forward to working with you and your fellow Chapter leaders.

To be successful in this effort, we need your help! We want to make sure that we have the correct current leaders for your Chapter, updated email addresses, and the mailing address for the Chapter (we want to make sure that our first supply shipment to you reaches its mark). Please send a confirmation email to us at: chapterscommittee@csteachers.org

Secondly, you can see that we want to follow-up on the success of last year's Chapter Leadership Summit, and want you to join us for this year's summit on July 8, 2017 at the CSTA Conference in Baltimore. We're asking every Chapter to ensure that at least one leader attends the conference and takes part in the Summit! If we can achieve this goal, it will help us truly build a lasting and effective partnership between CSTA and the Chapters. To register for the Summit, please click here.

We also will have a social event for chapter leaders on Saturday night, July 8, 2017 during the conference in Baltimore. This will provide an exclusive opportunity for Chapter leaders to directly interact with members of the CSTA Board and staff. More information to follow!

Oracle Academy Scholarships for First-Time Conference Attendees
New leaders who are first-time attendees to the Conference- please take advantage and apply for one of the 35 Oracle Academy Scholarships! These scholarships provide $1,000 grants to cover registration, hotel, and other travel expenses. The application period opens on April 1. Please share this information with your chapter members as well. More information to follow!

Going forward after the Conference, we will move into Phase 2 of the CRP, where CSTA will:
  • Offer non-profit governance, finance, membership, and events training.
  • Assist Chapters with their online presence and further connect and utilize the CSTA website and association management system.
  • Lead K-12 CS teacher community building in your geography to engage, promote, and facilitate CSTA PD programs including the Continuing Professional Development Pipeline among others.
  • Develop additional benefits based on our conversations in Phase I and at the Chapter Leadership Summit.
We are here to help! Chapter success is CSTA's success! 

Please watch for regular Chapter Leadership updates in the weeks ahead. We have created a page for the posting of the Chapter Updates which we encourage you to visit so that you can keep up to date on our progress. Click here to visit the Chapter Revitalization Plan page.

And lastly, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at either 800.694.8320 or at chapterscommittee@csteachers.org. 

Thank you for your time, talents and energy as a CSTA Chapter Leader! We look forward to working with you.

Yours in CS,  
Mark R. Nelson, Ph.D., MBA, CAE
Executive Director
Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)
 

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