JupyterHub for Teaching gives users access to Jupyter Notebook environments (computational environments and resources) without the hassle of installation and maintenance tasks. Instructors can make individual workspaces available via JupyterHub to students using shared resources, which can be managed efficiently by system administrators.
Read more about JupyterHub at the UW:
Instructors can request to have a JupyterHub environment set up for one or more of their courses. Courses in the UW Time Schedule are typically eligible for this service, detailed eligibility information can be found in our FAQ.
Detailed information about the supported Hub configurations and options is available in our Quickstart guide.
Starting in Autumn quarter 2025, we now support a Canvas tool which can be added to the course navigation area in Canvas and allows requesting and viewing status of course JupyterHubs directly. Please see our documentation on enabling this tool for your courses. We will also continue to support our form-based request workflow for those who prefer it.
Please note: Registration requests may require two or more business days or more to be processed. Hubs will be provisioned and available one to three weeks before the start of the quarter for which they are requested.
Canvas request tool
-- OR --
UW Connect registration form
I'm new to JupyterHub/Jupyter Notebooks. Is there an easy way to learn more about how it can support teaching and learning?
What are the eligibility requirements for a UW-IT JupyterHub for Teaching instance?
Eligibility requirements for a UW-IT JupyterHub for Teaching instance are that the course be for the current or a future academic quarter, contain matriculated students, and exist in the UW Time Schedule for any of the three campuses or PCE. Hub requests must originate from, or be approved by, a member of the instructional staff for the course or authorized member of the department. Questions can be directed to help@uw.edu.
I know a little bit about Jupyter Notebooks. Can I get a look at what people at the UW are doing with them?
Explore this showcase of sample Jupyter notebooks created at the UW.
I'd like to explore Jupyter Notebooks on my own. Is there a sandbox I can play with?
Please contact us at help@uw.edu about access to a demonstration environment. Please include "JupyterHub for Teaching" in the subject line so the request is routed to us.
I have experience using Python in my classes. What's the difference between using Python and Jupyter Notebooks?
Jupyter Notebooks on the hosted JupyterHub system provides a browser based JupyterLab or RStudio IDE, with a consistent environment for all users. As there are no local dependencies, complications arising from students using a variety of platforms are significantly reduced.
What will my Jupyter environment include?
Per-user resource allocation: User Storage: 5 GB Max Memory: 2GB or 4GB (chosen by instructor) CPU: Default is 2 cores, with option of up to 4 cores Instructors can choose from five standard notebook images for their JupyterHub deployment, or can use a compatible custom notebook from elsewhere:
The standard images share the following features:
Can I add course data to student notebooks?
Yes! All our standard notebook environments include the nbgitpuller server extension, which allows one or more public git repositories of your choosing to be automatically added to the home directory of student environments. The contents of the remote repository will be updated each time a notebook starts up. This can be requested at the time you register for a Hub, or after the fact by sending a request to help@uw.edu with "JupyterHub for Teaching" in the subject line. Please include the URL for your Git repository, the branch to use (if more than one is present), and the local folder name your students will see. Please also check out our best practices page for information about using nbgitpuller in your course.
We also offer a shared folder that is read & write for all users in the same course Hub. Add "NFS server option" in the additional comments section when submitting a hub request if interested.
How do I set up a custom notebook image for my JupyterHub environment?
Instructors can request to use their own custom image before a quarter starts during an open registration period. When choosing this option, instructors must build an image sourced from the Jupyter community, test it, publish it on DockerHub or another public repository, and provide a location URL to the JupyterHub for Teaching support team. For compatibility reasons, we strongly recommend basing custom images off of the supported images here. Instructors who originally registered to use a stock image can choose to convert it to a custom image at any time during the quarter by sending a request and image URL to help@uw.edu.
Note: Instructors who choose the Custom Image option are responsible for all support, testing, troubleshooting, bug fixing, and updates; UW-IT will not provide support outside of general cloud platform support. Please verify that your image is publicly available, ensure that no secrets have been written to the image, and confirm rate limiting policies for the image repository you choose.
Can I modify the standard images?
Send modification requests for the standard images to help@uw.edu. Changes, if approved and successfully tested, will only be applied to the images between quarters to ensure system continuity and stability for all users. Alternatively, instructors can use one of the standard images as a starting point to create a custom image that can be used at any time.
Will new standard images be added in addition to the current list of images?
We are happy to review requests for new standard images, please send them to help@uw.edu. New standard images, if approved and successfully tested, will be implemented between quarters.
How technical do students need to be to learn successfully with Jupyter Notebooks?
Experience with other coding platforms (e.g., MATLAB, ArcGIS) and languages can provide a useful foundation. If students do not have experience with Python, instructors should consider providing time and resources to getting students comfortable using it.
What support can I expect from UW-IT?
Each student in your course will receive access to a Jupyter Notebook server, created from your selected Jupyter image. Access to the Notebooks is restricted to the user UW NetIDs that are present in the course in Canvas. UW-IT will run the infrastructure at no cost to you.
Note: UW-IT is not expert in the pedagogy of using JupyterHub/Jupyter Notebooks. While we are providing JupyterHub, we strongly encourage users to review JupyterHub's support documentation. UW-IT is also working with advanced users of Jupyter Notebooks to build a campus support network. As details about that support become available, they will be shared here. For general questions about JupyterHub for Teaching, contact help@uw.edu. For faster service, please include "JupyterHub for Teaching" in the subject line.
What kind of support should I be prepared to set up on my own?
Experienced students, familiar with Jupyter Notebooks and JupyterHub and who are capable of managing back end development and technical problems, may be an important source of support for faculty. This type of support might be included in an existing teaching assistant's job duties. With limited permissions to the cloud computing administrator interface, teaching assistants could troubleshoot common issues with students in real time.
Can I add other instructors or TAs in my course as Hub admins?
By default, we only add the person who originally requested a Hub and others they explicitly request to be added as Hub admins. An existing admin can add others by locating a user in the admin page, clicking "Edit user", checking the "Admin" box, and clicking "Apply". UW-IT can also make the changes by sending a request to help@uw.edu
Is the JupyterHub for Teaching service really free?
There are currently no costs associated with using the service for eligible users.
Are there best practices for using JupyterHub at the UW?
Yes! Review best practices here.
Is there a changelog available?
Yes! View the changelog here.
How long is my instance of JupyterHub available?
JupyterHub for Teaching instances will be maintained for at least one quarter after their associated course has completed. Announcements will be sent to instructors approximately two weeks before the deletion date.
| JupyterHub active course quarter | Deleted on or after |
| Winter 2025 | June 13, 2025 |
| Spring 2025 | Aug 22, 2025 |
| Summer 2025 | Dec 12, 2025 |
| Autumn 2025 | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Winter 2026 | June 12, 2026 |