Engineering Applications of Computer Science Professional Development Institute: Summer 2026

Hello! We look forward to working together this summer.  This page contains general information about the Engineering Applications of Computer Science (commonly referred to as EYW: Computing) summer professional development institute (PDI). This PDI will be held entirely virtually. You will receive additional details by email as your session date approaches.

Session Details:

  • Date: Monday, July 13 – Friday, July 24, 2026
  • Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM CST, Monday – Friday (with an hour break for lunch).
  • Location: The course will take place online via Zoom

Other Details:

  • Evenings and Weekends: You may have homework on some nights. There are no classes scheduled on the weekend.
  • Additional Information: There will be additional required virtual training sessions during the academic year to cover units not addressed in the summer PDI sessions (dates and times TBD).

Things to do now:

  • Complete and return applicable paperwork (please upload these required documents to the UTBox Upload Widget):
  • Submit your headshot – upload to the UTBox Upload Widget.
  • Complete the required pre-survey(s) sent to you via email.
  • Ensure your PD invoice is paid. You will be (or have been) copied on the invoice sent to the accounting contact specified on your school enrollment form. This is typically sent in the spring or early summer, but will depend on when teacher registration occurs.

Things to do before Professional Development:

  • Ensure you have a computer for PD:
    • You will need a laptop with a webcam. If you have the option, we recommend that you use the same type of computer (PC or Mac) that your students will use so that you will be familiar with the functionality that they will experience.
    • Please ensure you have broad administrative privileges on the laptop that you are using during training; this very is important in case you need to fix unexpected issues quickly (with our troubleshooting help as needed) in order to continue participating in PD.
  • Install required software. As soon as possible, please install all of the necessary software on the computer that you will use in PD.
  • Complete the recommended Python tutorial.
    • Please go as far as you can through the Codecademy Python 2 tutorial. Codecademy has very high-quality materials and is our top recommendation. It’s not necessary for you to do the entire tutorial, but it’s better to do some than none. Pay special attention to the sections on Python Syntax, Strings and Console Output, Conditionals and Control Flow, and Loops (don’t worry about Lists, Statistics, Advanced Topics, or Classes). Note that we are recommending Codecademy’s Python 2 tutorial even though the curriculum and software instructions use Python 3. Why? The Python 2 version is their only free option, and it covers the necessary material extremely well. The only relevant difference between the two languages is how print statements are written, a difference that they cover well very early in the tutorial.

    (Optional): Afterwards, if you want to practice more and reinforce your new Python skills, please also go through the online Python programming language tutorial at https://www.learnpython.org/. Pay special attention to the following chapters:  Hello World, Variables and Types, Basic Operators, String Formatting, Conditions, Loops, Functions, Modules and Packages, Numpy Arrays, Exception Handling.

  • Purchase equipment and supplies (if applicable): We recommend purchasing kits of equipment and supplies through Studica as soon as possible.