Beginning in 1980, the Logo Summer Institute was an annual immersion in creative computing held in locations across the USA and abroad. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was transformed into an online event for three years from 2020 through 2022. For 2023 we're reviving the in-person format, while preserving the advantages of the online approach. It will be the best of both worlds - two workshops a week apart. You may sign up for the online workshop, the in-person immersion, or both.

The Logo Summer Institute Online will offer a range of workshops, presentations and discussions in an individualized program that accommodates novices as well as more experienced participants, teachers of different subjects and all grade levels, those who teach in after-school programs and other informal settings as well as in classrooms. Some advantages we have found in the online format:

• You can join from anywhere in the world
• All sessions are recorded so you can review them at a later time
• The scheduling is flexible. If you miss a session you can view the recording when convenient
• There are many facilitators sharing their expertise in various areas of creative computing

The Logo Summer Institute In-Person will be an immersion in creative computing projects. Spend time developing one or more projects of personal and/or professional interest. The advantages of the in-person format include:

• Close collaboration with colleagues on projects and curriculum design
• Availability of a rich collection of materials and equipment, including stuff you may not have access to at home or in school, such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and embroidery machines.
  
• Working in an environment that can be a model of the classroom experience you will be offering your students

The Logo Summer Institute in both formats provides:

• a project-based approach that supports computational thinking, and STEAM learning and teaching.
• an individualized program that accommodates a wide range of personal and professional needs and interests.
• experience in coding using Scratch, TurtleArt, ArtLogo, MakeCode, microblocks, Snap! and other programming languages.
• Robotics and physical computing using a variety of platforms including micro:bit, Finch Robots, and Hummingbird kits

The Zoom recordings of the Online Logo Summer Institute sessions will be available within hours of each session and will remain available at least through the 2023-2024 school year. If you register for just the In-Person Logo Summer Institute you will also have access to these recordings.

The Logo Summer Institute approach is learner-centered. This means that we accommodate the interests, learning style, and needs of each participant so whatever your educational philosophy and teaching circumstances, your Logo Summer Institute experience will be tailored to your personal and professional requirements.

Scratch has a central role in the Logo Summer Institute. For novices it offers a comfortable introduction to computer programming, or "coding" as it is often called. Beyond that, it enables one to create significant projects including stories and reports, games, animations, multimedia presentations, and simulations based on personal interest and related to various curriculum areas.

The common thread in Logo Summer Institute activities and projects is creative computing – using technology to support the designing and building personally meaningful projects, and to explore powerful ideas. We use Scratch and other programming languages. For robotics and physical computing we use Finch, Hummingbird, micro:bit, and Makey Makey among other platforms. Some projects involve creating artifacts with 3D printing, laser cutting and etching, and embroidery.

programming projects with the micro:bit,  Finch Robot and Hummingbird Kit can now include machine learning and artificial intelligence ArtLogo and Minsky Logo are text-based programming environments that support working with art, programming and mathematics LearningML enables you to incorporate machine learning models into Scratch OctoStudio is a new app for mobile phone from the creators of Scratch at the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab Also from the Lifelong Kindergarten Group we will have CoCo, a new platform built on Scratch that supports real-time co-creation and collaboration among people anywhere in the world.

Workshop Leaders

The Logo Summer Institute facilitators are classroom teachers, professional development specialists and researchers  with extensive experience in creative computing and curriculum integration in grades K-12 and in all subject areas. Since the members of the team each have their own interests and areas of expertise, you will have support and guidance in a wide variety of project areas and technologies. Everyone on the team is fluent in Scratch and several other programming languages. Here's a partial list of the team members for 2023:

Facilitators for the Online Logo Summer Institute will include

• Alissa Blumberg of the Spence School
• Hope Chafiian of the Spence School
• Erik Nauman of the Hewitt School
• Michael Tempel of the Logo Foundation
• Cynthia Solomon, educator, researcher, co-creator of Logo
• Brian Silverman of the Playful Invention Company
• Artemis Papert, independent artist
• Tom Lauwers and Jen Norton of BirdBrain Technologies
• Michael A. Quinn of Logo Computer Systems (LCSI)
• Melody and April Ayers-Griffiths of TurtleSpaces
• Michelle Hughes, Education Coach at Learning Arts Coaching and Consulting
• Karioki Crosby of Latimer Heights
• Natalie Rusk and other members of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab
• Shruti Dhariwal and Manuj Dhariwal of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab
• Rodrigo Fábrega of the Cruzando Foundation
• Sean Justice of Texas State University
  

The hosts for the In-Person Logo Summer Institute will be

• Alissa Blumberg of the Spence School
• Hope Chafiian of the Spence School
• Erik Nauman of the Hewitt School
• Michael Tempel of the Logo Foundation