Summer Institute - Week by Week Program
Research Experience for Teachers (CREEDS-2024)
Main Program Dates: June 12, 2024 - July 17, 2024
Pre-Program Days: May 31st and June 1st, 2024
Program Focus Full schedule
NOTE: Each week will start with a Week Ahead session: this is to allow to reflect on what was
accomplished so far, understand what the week is about, and how the planned sessions fit in
the goal of the institute. This is also the opportunity for participants to ask any questions they
may have about the content and logistics.
Pre-Launch: May 31 and June 1
The pre-launch programs aims to get the cohort together before the institute start date, to build
community, and address logistical details such as parking and stipend disbursements.
• Thursday May 31: Program presentation, logistics (e.g., access and parking), College of Computer Science welcome - Dr. Salamah Salamah
• Friday June 1: UTEP CS, campus tour, reseach mentors, College of Engineering welcome - Dr. Kan Meissner
Week 1
Week 1 marks the official start of the institute. During Week 1, more community building
activities will take place, as well as an introduction to the topics of the institute. Participants will
participate in education sessions as well as CS teaching and problem-solving sessions.
Additionally, a guest speaker will give a lecture (one per week) to broaden the participants’
knowledge of the different subfields of computer science.
• Wednesday June 12: Brief review + Life Path + CREEDS 2023 Experience by Rebecca
• Thursday June 13: Research area - Dr. Tizpaz-Niari + Research area: Dr. Piplai + Q&A + lab setup
• Friday June 14: Reseach area: Dr. Aggarwal + Title IX training + Mentor- Mentee Matching
Week 2
On Week 2, participants will still attend a number of Ed sessions and sessions on teaching CS and
problem solving. However, this week will also mark the start of their work in lab with their
respective mentors.
• Monday June 17: Pedagogy session 1 + Guest Speaker: Justice T. Walker + Teaching CS + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Tuesday June 18: Python session 1 + Inclusive Classroom + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Wednesday June 19: Juneteeth - Federal Holiday
• Thursday June 20: Python session 2 + Problem Solving + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Friday June 21: Pedagogy session 2 + work in lab on projects with mentors + Thankful Friday
Week 3
On Week 3, Ed sessions will give way to Ed office hours to provide support to the participants’
early work on their own projects. Similarly, office hours will be provided to support the CS part of
the projects. Most of the week will be autonomous work, with support provided in Ed, CS, and by
mentors.
• Monday June 24: Problem Solving 2 + Guest Speaker: Nigel Ward and Divette Marco + Pedagogy session 3 + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Tuesday June 25: Python session 3 + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Wednesday June 26: Development Tools + Pedagogy session 4 + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Thursday June 27: Python session 4 Guest Speaker: ACM - From ML Engineering to AI Engineering + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Friday June 28: Machine Learning session + work in lab on projects with mentors + Thankful Friday
Week 4
Week 4 will be very similar to Week 3 in that participants are expected to be working most of the
week on their respective projects and within their respective labs.
• Monday july 1: Demostrate Pedagogy by Mentees + Guest Speaker: Saidur Rahman + Demostrate Pedagogy by Mentees + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Tuesday July 2: Computer Science Offerings and Pathways + work in lab on projects with mentors + Mentor Meeting + Demostrate Pedagogy by Mentees
• Wednesday July 3: Work in lab on projects with mentors + Tech and CS Ed + Poster Briefing + Thankful Wednesday
• Thursday July 4: No session that day
• Friday July 5: Holiday
Week 5
During Week 5, participants will have a couple more Teaching CS sessions to help support and
polish their project ideas. They will have a standup reporting session on the progress of their
work, from the pedagogical viewpoint. Other than that, Week 5 is the last week for participants
to complete the bulk of their work as Week 6 will be very short (3 days only).
• Monday July 8: Poster follow up + Guest Speaker: Sai Mounika Erratopu + work in lab on projects with
mentors
• Tuesday July 9: Ed office hours + CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Wednesday July 10: K-12 STEM Education presentation + Poster review + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Thursday July 11: Ed office hours + CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Friday July 12: Ed office hours + CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors
Week 6
Week 6 is the last week of the institute and counts only 2 days, during which participants will
prepare for their presentations with a session to brief them on feedback sharing and the art of
asking questions, and a pre-presentation session on Day 2 of Week 6, which will be the “dress
rehearsal” for the final presentation scheduled on August 19.
• Monday July 15: Mock presentation preparation + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Tuesday July 16: Finalization of presentations + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Wednesday July 17: Work in lab on projects with mentors + submit to NSF RET - Virtual Poster Session
Post-Program: July 23, 24 and August 20, 21, 22, 24
On August 24, institute participants will get to present their projects to a broader community
composed of their respective school officials, CS chair, Engineering Dean, and other outreach
leaders on campus.
• Tuesday July 23: Welcome and Opening Remarks with Patricia Simmons (NSF EEC) + Poster session
• Wednesday July 24: Welcome and Opening Remarks + Networking session + Poster session + Closing Remarks
• Wednesday August 21: Office hours
• Thursday August 22: Office hours
• Friday August 23: Curriculum/Lesson Plan Oriented Presentation due + Office hours
• Saturday August 24: Lesson plan presentation
Important notes:
• Most weeks will end with a Standup Report of each participant’s progress and Thankful Friday - A small meeting to reflect on week activities and end in a positive note
Research Experience for Teachers (CREEDS-2023)
Program Focus Week by Week
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Each week will start with a Week Ahead session: this is to allow to reflect on what was
accomplished so far, understand what the week is about, and how the planned sessions fit in
the goal of the institute. This is also the opportunity for participants to ask any questions they
may have about the content and logistics.
Most weeks will end with a Standup Report of each participant’s progress.
Pre-Launch: June 1, 2, & 3
The pre-launch programs aims to get the cohort together before the institute start date, to build
community, and address logistical details such as parking and stipend disbursements.
• Thursday June 1: Program presentation + Logistics (e.g., parking)
• Friday June 2: CS@UTEP + Community building
• Saturday June 3: General presentation of the university, mentors, industry partners,
ranking of projects
Week 1
Week 1 marks the official start of the institute. During Week 1, more community building
activities will take place, as well as an introduction to the topics of the institute. Participants will
participate in education sessions as well as CS teaching and problem-solving sessions.
Additionally, a guest speaker will give a lecture (one per week) to broaden the participants’
knowledge of the different subfields of computer science.
• Monday June 12: Community building, Title IX training
• Tuesday June 13: Intro to the topics of the institute, problem solving in CS
• Wednesday June 14: Ed session + Teaching CS + problem solving in CS + guest lecture
• Thursday June 15: Ed session + Teaching CS + problem solving in CS
• Friday June 16: Ed session + Teaching CS + problem solving in CS + industry partners
Week 2
On Week 2, participants will still attend a number of Ed sessions and sessions on teaching CS and
problem solving. However, this week will also mark the start of their work in lab with their
respective mentors.
• Monday June 19: Holiday
• Tuesday June 20: Coffee Tuesday + Ed session + Teaching CS + problem solving in CS
• Wednesday June 21: Ed session + Teaching CS + problem solving in CS
• Thursday June 22: Ed session + Teaching CS + problem solving in CS + guest lecture +
work in lab on projects with mentors
• Friday June 23: Ed + CS office hours + time to work on project
Week 3
On Week 3, Ed sessions will give way to Ed office hours to provide support to the participants’
early work on their own projects. Similarly, office hours will be provided to support the CS part of
the projects. Most of the week will be autonomous work, with support provided in Ed, CS, and by
mentors.
• Monday June 26: Coffee Tuesday + Ed office hours + Reporting on CS activity + work
in lab on projects with mentors
• Tuesday June 27: Ed and CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors
• Wednesday June 28: Ed and CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors +
guest speaker
• Thursday June 29: Ed and CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors +
Industry mentors
• Friday June 30: Work in lab on projects with mentors
Week 4
Week 4 will be very similar to Week 3 in that participants are expected to be working most of the
week on their respective projects and within their respective labs.
• Monday July 3: No session that day
• Tuesday July 4: Holiday
• Wednesday July 5: Ed and CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors +
guest speaker
• Thursday July 6: Ed and CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors +
Industry mentors
• Friday July 7: Ed and CS office hours + work in lab on projects with mentors
Week 5
During Week 5, participants will have a couple more Teaching CS sessions to help support and
polish their project ideas. They will have a standup reporting session on the progress of their
work, from the pedagogical viewpoint. Other than that, Week 5 is the last week for participants
to complete the bulk of their work as Week 6 will be very short (2 days only).
• Monday July 10: Ed office hours + Teaching CS + work in lab on projects with
mentors
• Tuesday July 11: Ed standup reports + Teaching CS + work in lab on projects with
mentors
• Wednesday July 12: Ed office hours + CS office hours + work in lab on projects with
Mentors + guest speaker
• Thursday July 13: Ed office hours + CS office hours + work in lab on projects with
Mentors + industry partners
• Friday July 14: Ed office hours + CS office hours + work in lab on projects with
Mentors
Week 6
Week 6 is the last week of the institute and counts only 2 days, during which participants will
prepare for their presentations with a session to brief them on feedback sharing and the art of
asking questions, and a pre-presentation session on Day 2 of Week 6, which will be the “dress
rehearsal” for the final presentation scheduled on August 19.
• Monday July 17: Pre-presentation preparation + work in lab on projects with
Mentors + industry partners
• Tuesday June 18: Finalization of presentations + Pre-presentations
Post-Program: August 19
On August 19, institute participants will get to present their projects to a broader community
composed of their respective school officials, CS chair, Engineering Dean, and other outreach
leaders on campus.
• Saturday August 19: Presentations + What’s Next session
Important notes:
• Starting on June 12, lunch will be on your own, except on June 12, and will be scheduled
from noon to 1PM. A variety of food services are available on campus within walking
distance of our building.
• Every Tuesday morning at 8:30AM, we’ll have a light breakfast together (coffee).