Q: What key dates should I keep in mind for the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 applications?

• October 12, 2020: Pathfinders Winter Institute applications open
• December 8, 2020: Pathfinders Winter Institute applications close at 5:00pm ET / 2:00pm PT for teachers who fundraise through DonorsChoose
• December 11, 2020: Last day to create and submit your DonorsChoose project (if applicable). All projects must be submitted by 11:59pm ET
• January 5, 2021: Pathfinders Winter Institute applications close at 5:00pm ET / 2:00pm PT for teachers who fundraise through District/School/PTA/Self
• January 11, 2021: Last day for all teachers to submit funding
• February 1-5, 2021: Know Before You Attend emails will be sent to fully funded teachers
• February 12-15, 2021: Pathfinders Winter Institute

Q: I'm interested in attending the Pathfinders Winter Institute and I am a public school teacher. What do I need to do?

Please click "How to Apply" for application details. If you have additional questions regarding the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 application process, please contact the Pathfinders Team at: Pathfinders@InfosysFoundationUSAEvents.org or call 888-499-7700 or 736-447-3777. Hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm, Central Time, Monday thru Friday.

If you are active on social media, please consider joining the Pathfinders Facebook group to connect with the various PD providers and with fellow teachers from around the US.

Q: I'm getting an error when applying. What should I do?

If you have any questions regarding the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 application process, please contact the Pathfinders Team at: Pathfinders@InfosysFoundationUSAEvents.org or call 888-499-7700 or 736-447-3777. Hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm, Central Time, Monday thru Friday.

Q: Will I receive a confirmation once I apply?

Yes, you will receive a confirmation email once you successfully complete your application. All applications will immediately be placed on a default waitlist while they are being reviewed for acceptance into the virtual Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021. The deadline for program acceptance into a course for DonorsChoose funded teachers is Dec 9, 2020 and for District/School/PTA/Self-funded teachers is Jan 7, 2021. PD providers will review and accept teacher applications on a rolling basis. The sooner you apply, the better your odds are of being accepted into your course of choice. Please note that acceptance into a course does not guarantee you a confirmed seat. Confirmation to attend occurs once you get fully funded through DonorsChoose or through your district/school/PTA/self.

Q: I'm a teacher at a private/international school—am I eligible to apply?

Applications from teachers at US private schools (including parochial schools) and international schools will be accepted IF there are open spots available in any given course once initial K-12 US public school teacher applications have been reviewed. This determination will be made after December 11, 2020. Please note that the teachers at private schools or international schools would NOT be eligible for match funding from Infosys Foundation USA and would be responsible for 100% of the fees. The cost to attend the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 is $850. This includes virtual conference registration costs, tuition and specific resources/materials (as applicable by course).

Q: How long is the application review period?

The deadline for program acceptance for DonorsChoose funded teachers is December 9, 2020 and for District/School/PTA/Self-funded teachers is January 7, 2021. PD providers will review and accept teacher applications on a rolling basis.

Special consideration will be given to the following applications:

• Teachers from high-needs schools
• Teachers from schools outside major urban centers
• Teachers from schools with significant under-represented student populations
• Teachers new to teaching CS and making
• Districts demonstrating significant commitment to CS/making by sending multiple teachers or counselors.

The sooner you apply, the better your odds of being accepted into your course of choice.

Based on demand, we may not be able to accept all teachers who apply to the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021. The application deadline for teachers raising funds through DonorsChoose is December 8, 2020 at 5:00pm ET and for District/School/PTA/Self-funded teachers is January 5, 2021 at 11:59pm CST. It is possible that you may not receive notification of acceptance until that date, though you will likely hear back much sooner.

Q. My school is closed and I am unable to get a signature for the administrator letter of support. Am I still able to apply?

We understand that many schools and districts across the U.S. are closed due to COVID-19. You can download the Administrator Letter of Support and fill in all the necessary fields and email to your principal or administrator for their digital signature. Please then upload the digitally signed letter to your application.

Q. What is your cancellation policy?

If a teacher cannot attend the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021, the cancellation policy follows the following rules:

• If funding through DonorsChoose:
  • All payments made by DonorsChoose to the Pathfinders Team are final. If you have any questions about your attendance to the conference, please contact pathfinders@infosysfoundationusaevents.org.
• If funding through schools, districts, PTA or personal payment:
  A teacher can cancel prior to receipt of funds from their school/district/PTA/other. However, no refunds will be provided once the funds have been received.

Q: Is there a fee for attending the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021?

Pathfinders is designed to make it possible for teachers to receive high quality professional development.

• The cost to attend a Pathfinders Winter Institute course is $850.
• The cost for CMU CS Academy is $850 (*However, it will be free for the first 30 eligible and accepted US public school teachers who apply thanks to 100% funding from Infosys Foundation USA and Carnegie Mellon University)
• For teachers raising funds through their schools, districts, PTA or paying themselves, Infosys Foundation USA will fund 70% ($595) of the program fees. Applicants are responsible for raising the remaining 30% ($255) by working with your school, district, or PTA.
• For teachers raising funds through DonorsChoose, you will receive a 3X match offer from Infosys Foundation USA tripling each donation you receive. The amount to raise will be $850. This cost includes tuition, virtual conference registration costs and specific resources/materials (as applicable to each course).

Q: What is included in the fees?

Virtual conference costs, tuition and specific resources/materials (as applicable to your selected virtual PD course) are included in the total cost to attend the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021.

Q: How do I fund the remaining portion of the fees?

Once you receive email confirmation that you have been accepted into the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021, you can pursue one of the following two options to secure your funding:

(1) For School/District/PTA funded teachers - Infosys Foundation USA is funding 70% of the fees for teachers who raise funds through their schools/districts/PTA or pay directly out-of-pocket. Applicants are responsible for raising the remaining 30% of the cost for attending the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 by working with your school, district, or PTA. See Step 5A in How to Apply.

(2) For teachers raising funds through DonorsChoose - Create and submit a project on DonorsChoose before December 11, 2020 and fundraise with matched donations from the Infosys Foundation USA. You will receive a 3X match offer from the Infosys Foundation USA tripling each donation you receive – that means a $100 donation becomes a $300 donation. See Step 5B in How to Apply.

Q: How will I know my funding is approved (or not yet approved)?

Once your funding is approved, an email will be sent confirming receipt. You can log into the application system with your account credentials at any time to review the status of your application.

Q: Where will the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 classes take place?

In light of continued remote conditions due to COVID-19, the Infosys Foundation USA is convening Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021 'virtually'. Participating teachers will receive a code to log-into an interactive platform where the Institute will be delivered. We hope this creates more flexibility and a greater number of teachers who are able to attend.

Q: What can I expect to receive prior to participating?

About two weeks prior to the start of the Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021, you will receive a “Know Before You Attend” email with everything you need to log-into the platform virtually where the Institute will be delivered. Based on your chosen course you may receive physical materials needed to participate. These will be sent directly to your address you have provided in your Application form. Additionally, you will also receive a Guidance Document for how to participate virtually.

Q: What time do I need to log-on to the virtual Pathfinders Winter Institute 2021?

The Pathfinders Winter Institute will kick-off with a 'virtual' Opening Ceremony on Friday, February 12th. Classes will convene virtually Saturday, February 13 - Monday February 15th. Please plan for three full 7-8 hour days. An indicative agenda of curriculum delivery, break-out sessions, and fun social media community building activities, will be uploaded within ‘Agenda’ section and course specific schedules will be shared with you prior to your attendance.

Q: What social media is there for Pathfinders Institute?

If you are active on social media, we invite you to join the Pathfinders Facebook group to connect with the various PD providers and with your fellow teachers from around the US and to find updates about the event.

We also encourage you to follow the Infosys Foundation USA on twitter @InfyFoundation.

Q: Is there an event hashtag for social channels?

Yes. We will be tweeting from @InfyFoundation using #InfyPathfinders. We will also use this on Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest channels, so please say hello.

At the Infosys Foundation USA, the safety and security of our teachers and professional development providers is our number one priority. With that in mind, the Pathfinders Winter Institute will be held virtually. Working closely with the PD Providers, we are committed to delivering an equally enriching virtual Pathfinders Institute experience to all our attendees.

If any of your concerns are not addressed, please contact our team at pathfinders@infosysfoundationusaevents.org