The gap between teaching tools and the real world is closing fast.
At CSTA 2026, Forward Education is returning to enable educators to teach real-world skills with hands-on physical computing and AI literacy that works for all budgets.
Here's what we have planned:
Drop By Booth
Find Booths 500 + 502Win a Trip to Costa Rica
Enter Scavenger HuntJoin a Booth PD Session
See the ScheduleMake AI Literacy Stick
Code micro:bit with AIExplore micro:bit Kits
Get Hands-onForward vs. LEGO
Read the Head-to-HeadCSTA-Alignment
Coming this Summer
Find Us at Booths 500 + 502
Find Our Booth
Come and get hands-on at our booth:
- AI literacy workshops
- Live MicroChat AI and coding kit demos
- Interactive micro:bit robotics kits and accessories
...and Jeremy, Shaun, Justin, and Cam from Forward Education ready to help you find the right fit for your classroom.
Plus, don't miss our free prizes, product giveaways, and the grand prize draw for a trip to Costa Rica.
Join the Hunt
Upload a photo of your badge to confirm you're in attendance at CSTA 2026 in New Orleans, LA.
Complete Your Tasks
Try MicroChat, join our Learning Library, attend a bite-sized PD session, and get inked at the afterparty.
1 task = 1 entry.
Winner Drawn on Wed
The hunt ends 11:00 AM on Wednesday. The Grand Prize Draw is at 1:00 PM on the Flash Talk Stage.
Drop In for Bite-Sized PD at the Booth
We're running live sessions throughout the day with mini learning bursts that pack a punch. Sessions are 30 to 40 minutes and run throughout exhibit hall hours.
Monday
July 13, 2026
Tuesday
July 14, 2026
Wednesday
July 15, 2026
Code Your micro:bit with AI
Meet MicroChat - our newest product that builds AI literacy and coding skills through a generative AI chat experience to code micro:bit.
Apply to Fund Your AI Literacy PD
Equip every educator you serve with hands-on AI literacy tools. Apply to receive free site licensing, turnkey PD materials, and live training for your team.
Coding for Good Kit
micro:bit coding built around real-world challenges like climate, health, safety, community. Grades 3–12.
Smart Solar Kit
micro:bit-powered solar system for exploring energy, electronics, and the environment.
CHARGE
Wearable, rechargeable battery pack that takes micro:bit projects outdoors and on the go.
CodeCTRL
Game-controller-style visual coding for younger learners. No computer required.
Compare Computer Science & AI Kits Head to Head
LEGO Education vs. Forward Education
They have the brand name. We have a smarter ecosystem. See exactly what a class of 24 students gets with each, grade band by grade band.
K–2 & 3–5 Classroom Bundles · Recommended Setup
K–5 Coding, Robotics & AI Literacy · Recommended Setup
Every Forward Education product works well on its own, and connects to our ecosystem when you're ready to grow.
- Building blocks 1,656
- Color sensors 6
- Single motors 6
- Double motors 0
- Building blocks 1,926
- Color sensors 6
- Single motors 0
- Double motors 6
- Building blocks 684
- Water pumps 12
- Programmable sensors 108
- LED lights 12
- Servo motors 48
- LCD display screens 12
- micro:bit battery packs 24
- CodeCTRL devices 12
Includes 66 new CSTA-aligned K–5 activities launching this summer
6–8 Classroom Bundles · Recommended Setup
6–8 Coding, Robotics & AI Literacy · Recommended Setup
Every Forward Education product works well on its own, and connects to our ecosystem when you're ready to grow.
- Building blocks 2,274
- Controllers 6
- Color sensors 6
- Double motors 6
- Single motors 6
- Building blocks 684
- Water pumps 12
- Programmable sensors 108
- LED lights 12
- Servo motors 48
- LCD display screens 12
- micro:bit battery packs 12
Includes 42 new CSTA-aligned 6–8 activities launching this summer
LEGO Education data sourced from legoeducation.com, June 30, 2026. Forward Education is not affiliated with LEGO Education. Smarter ecosystem claim based on higher programmable module count per dollar compared to LEGO Education. Full comparison at fwdedu.com/csta2026.
New for 2026: New CSTA-Aligned Lesson Plans
We are building a library of lesson plan units tied directly to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards. Each unit takes one CSTA Concept and turns it into a complete, multi-day sequence with hands-on sessions and a culminating challenge. Starting with grades K–2, 3–5, and 6–8.
How It Works
One Concept. One Unit. One Culminating Challenge.
Every unit is built around a single CSTA Concept at one grade band. Sessions stack from one to the next so students are never asked to do something they have not been taught. Essential Questions frame the whole unit and give the final challenge its purpose.
Each session names the specific standards it builds on, so coverage is already documented when someone asks.
Read the Full Breakdown
