The CTiS (Computational Thinking in Schools) conference is an annual event organised by the ACM India (Association for Computing Machinery, India) and the CSpathshala community. It aims to bring together teachers, educators and researchers to discuss innovations, best practices and issues pertaining to curriculum, pedagogy, policy and implementation, related to bringing computational thinking to schools. 

CSpathshala is an ACM India initiative to bring a modern computing curriculum to Indian schools. In our National Education Policy 2020 and in many countries across the world, Computational Thinking (CT) has been identified as one of the essential subjects to be taught and a critical skill to be developed in children during the school years. It advances the notion that the Mathematics and Science behind Computer Science go far beyond the simple ability to use computers, and can be taught and discussed in schools even without the use of computers. The first CTiS conference was held in Pune in April 2019 and the current  CTiS2026 is the eighth edition. All Eight editions were highly successful and were well received by teachers and educators.

The Eighth Conference on Computational Thinking in Schools (CTiS 2026) was successfully held from 30 July to 1 August 2026 at IISER Pune. Organised by ACM India Council and CSpathshala, an ACM India education initiative, the conference brought together educators, researchers, school leaders, teacher educators and organisations engaged in school-level computing education from across the country. The conference was hosted with the support of SCTR’s PICT ACM Student Chapter and PICT Model School. Ekatra was also associated with the organisation and support of the conference.

CTiS2026 witnessed an overwhelming response, attracting 200+ participants from schools, higher education institutions, educational organisations, industry and teacher networks across 20 states in India with 800+ teachers joining the conference online. More than 400 abstracts were received from educators representing 16 states, of which 62 were selected for presentations, posters and demonstrations following a rigorous review process. The selected contributions covered Computational Thinking (CT), coding, Artificial Intelligence (AI), physical computing, mathematics, science, language education, inclusive education, teacher professional development and unplugged classroom activities.

A major highlight of the conference was a panel discussion on the CBSE curriculum for Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence in schools. The distinguished panel included experts from IIT Madras, Azim Premji University, TCS Research and leading schools, and was chaired by Prof. Madhavan Mukund, Director of Chennai Mathematical Institute. The discussion focused on the progression of Computational Thinking and AI education across school grades, the need for sustained teacher support, age-appropriate curriculum design, assessment practices that promote problem-solving, and the responsible use of AI by students.

The conference featured teacher presentations showcasing innovative classroom practices, integration of Computational Thinking across subjects, physical computing projects, AI-based learning activities and inclusive educational approaches. Participants explored how CT can support learning through games, storytelling, mathematics, scientific inquiry, robotics, environmental studies and community-based problem-solving.