diff --git a/app/controllers/api/projects_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/projects_controller.rb
index f44710faf..b7112e4d7 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/projects_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/projects_controller.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def show
     end
 
     def create
-      result = Project::Create.call(project_hash: project_params)
+      result = Project::Create.call(project_hash: project_params, current_user:)
 
       if result.success?
         @project = result[:project]
diff --git a/app/models/ability.rb b/app/models/ability.rb
index bca1f2dfa..1660892d9 100644
--- a/app/models/ability.rb
+++ b/app/models/ability.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ def initialize(user)
       define_school_teacher_abilities(user:, school:) if user.school_teacher?(school)
       define_school_owner_abilities(school:) if user.school_owner?(school)
     end
+
+    define_experience_cs_admin_abilities(user)
   end
 
   private
@@ -100,6 +102,10 @@ def define_school_student_abilities(user:, school:)
     can(%i[show_finished set_finished], SchoolProject, project: { user_id: user.id, lesson_id: nil }, school_id: school.id)
   end
 
+  def define_experience_cs_admin_abilities(user)
+    can :create, :public_project if user.experience_cs_admin?
+  end
+
   def school_teacher_can_manage_lesson?(user:, school:, lesson:)
     is_my_lesson = lesson.school_id == school.id && lesson.user_id == user.id
     is_my_class = lesson.school_class&.teacher_ids&.include?(user.id)
diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index ebe956559..3b7f589c5 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ module Types
     SCRATCH = 'scratch'
   end
 
+  attr_accessor :skip_identifier_generation
+
   belongs_to :school, optional: true
   belongs_to :lesson, optional: true
   belongs_to :parent, optional: true, class_name: :Project, foreign_key: :remixed_from_id, inverse_of: :remixes
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ module Types
 
   accepts_nested_attributes_for :components
 
-  before_validation :check_unique_not_null, on: :create
+  before_validation :generate_identifier, on: :create, unless: :skip_identifier_generation
   before_validation :create_school_project_if_needed
 
   validates :identifier, presence: true, uniqueness: { scope: :locale }
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ def media
 
   private
 
-  def check_unique_not_null
+  def generate_identifier
     self.identifier ||= PhraseIdentifier.generate
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index a7d90a6be..386ab2615 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,15 @@ def student?
   end
 
   def admin?
-    (roles&.to_s&.split(',')&.map(&:strip) || []).include?('editor-admin')
+    parsed_roles.include?('editor-admin')
+  end
+
+  def experience_cs_admin?
+    parsed_roles.include?('experience-cs-admin')
+  end
+
+  def parsed_roles
+    roles&.to_s&.split(',')&.map(&:strip) || []
   end
 
   def ==(other)
diff --git a/lib/concepts/project/operations/create.rb b/lib/concepts/project/operations/create.rb
index 625cdba85..7e40da299 100644
--- a/lib/concepts/project/operations/create.rb
+++ b/lib/concepts/project/operations/create.rb
@@ -3,10 +3,13 @@
 class Project
   class Create
     class << self
-      def call(project_hash:)
+      def call(project_hash:, current_user:)
         response = OperationResponse.new
-        response[:project] = build_project(project_hash)
-        response[:project].save!
+
+        project = build_project(project_hash, current_user)
+        project.save!
+
+        response[:project] = project
         response
       rescue StandardError => e
         Sentry.capture_exception(e)
@@ -16,9 +19,8 @@ def call(project_hash:)
 
       private
 
-      def build_project(project_hash)
-        identifier = PhraseIdentifier.generate
-        new_project = Project.new(project_hash.except(:components).merge(identifier:))
+      def build_project(project_hash, _current_user)
+        new_project = Project.new(project_hash.except(:components))
         new_project.components.build(project_hash[:components])
         new_project
       end
diff --git a/spec/concepts/project/create_spec.rb b/spec/concepts/project/create_spec.rb
index 2af9426f1..4619a4b79 100644
--- a/spec/concepts/project/create_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/concepts/project/create_spec.rb
@@ -3,21 +3,17 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe Project::Create, type: :unit do
-  subject(:create_project) { described_class.call(project_hash:) }
-
-  let(:user_id) { 'e0675b6c-dc48-4cd6-8c04-0f7ac05af51a' }
+  describe '.call' do
+    subject(:create_project) { described_class.call(project_hash:, current_user:) }
 
-  before do
-    mock_phrase_generation
-    ActionController::Parameters.permit_all_parameters = true
-  end
+    let(:current_user) { build(:user) }
+    let(:user_id) { current_user.id }
 
-  describe '.call' do
-    let(:project_hash) { ActionController::Parameters.new({}).merge(user_id:) }
+    before do
+      mock_phrase_generation
+    end
 
     context 'with valid content' do
-      subject(:create_project_with_content) { described_class.call(project_hash:) }
-
       let(:project_hash) do
         {
           project_type: Project::Types::PYTHON,
@@ -32,16 +28,18 @@
       end
 
       it 'returns success' do
-        expect(create_project_with_content.success?).to be(true)
+        expect(create_project.success?).to be(true)
       end
 
       it 'returns project with correct component content' do
-        new_project = create_project_with_content[:project]
+        new_project = create_project[:project]
         expect(new_project.components.first.content).to eq('print("hello world")')
       end
     end
 
     context 'when creation fails' do
+      let(:project_hash) { { user_id: } }
+
       before do
         mock_project = instance_double(Project)
         allow(mock_project).to receive(:components).and_raise('Some error')
diff --git a/spec/factories/user.rb b/spec/factories/user.rb
index 473db5ec7..d7470f672 100644
--- a/spec/factories/user.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/user.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
       roles { 'editor-admin' }
     end
 
+    factory :experience_cs_admin_user do
+      roles { 'experience-cs-admin' }
+    end
+
     factory :student do
       email { nil }
       username { Faker::Internet.username }
diff --git a/spec/features/project/creating_a_project_spec.rb b/spec/features/project/creating_a_project_spec.rb
index bbcd47836..dbd876540 100644
--- a/spec/features/project/creating_a_project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/project/creating_a_project_spec.rb
@@ -3,16 +3,11 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe 'Creating a project', type: :request do
-  before do
-    authenticated_in_hydra_as(teacher)
-    mock_phrase_generation
-  end
-
+  let(:generated_identifier) { 'word1-word2-word3' }
   let(:headers) { { Authorization: UserProfileMock::TOKEN } }
   let(:teacher) { create(:teacher, school:) }
   let(:school) { create(:school) }
   let(:owner) { create(:owner, school:) }
-
   let(:params) do
     {
       project: {
@@ -24,11 +19,23 @@
     }
   end
 
+  before do
+    authenticated_in_hydra_as(teacher)
+    mock_phrase_generation(generated_identifier)
+  end
+
   it 'responds 201 Created' do
     post('/api/projects', headers:, params:)
     expect(response).to have_http_status(:created)
   end
 
+  it 'generates an identifier for the project' do
+    post('/api/projects', headers:, params:)
+    data = JSON.parse(response.body, symbolize_names: true)
+
+    expect(data[:identifier]).to eq(generated_identifier)
+  end
+
   it 'responds with the project JSON' do
     post('/api/projects', headers:, params:)
     data = JSON.parse(response.body, symbolize_names: true)
diff --git a/spec/models/ability_spec.rb b/spec/models/ability_spec.rb
index 39624d64e..9d7a40aea 100644
--- a/spec/models/ability_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/ability_spec.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:update, project) }
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:destroy, project) }
       end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:create, :public_project) }
     end
 
     context 'with a standard user' do
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:update, another_project) }
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:destroy, another_project) }
       end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:create, :public_project) }
     end
 
     context 'with a teacher' do
@@ -83,6 +87,8 @@
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:update, another_project) }
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:destroy, another_project) }
       end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:create, :public_project) }
     end
 
     context 'with an owner' do
@@ -110,6 +116,8 @@
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:update, another_project) }
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:destroy, another_project) }
       end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:create, :public_project) }
     end
 
     context 'with a student' do
@@ -137,6 +145,14 @@
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:update, another_project) }
         it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:destroy, another_project) }
       end
+
+      it { is_expected.not_to be_able_to(:create, :public_project) }
+    end
+
+    context 'with an experience-cs admin' do
+      let(:user) { build(:experience_cs_admin_user) }
+
+      it { is_expected.to be_able_to(:create, :public_project) }
     end
 
     # rubocop:disable RSpec/MultipleMemoizedHelpers
diff --git a/spec/models/project_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
index 6102ac091..ab56c8471 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_spec.rb
@@ -154,12 +154,19 @@
     end
   end
 
-  describe 'check_unique_not_null' do
-    let(:saved_project) { create(:project) }
-
+  describe 'generate_identifier' do
     it 'generates an identifier if nil' do
-      unsaved_project = build(:project, identifier: nil)
-      expect { unsaved_project.valid? }.to change { unsaved_project.identifier.nil? }.from(true).to(false)
+      project = build(:project, identifier: nil)
+      project.valid?
+      expect(project.identifier).not_to be_nil
+    end
+
+    context 'when skip_identifier_generation is true' do
+      it 'does not generate an identifier if nil' do
+        project = build(:project, identifier: nil, skip_identifier_generation: true)
+        project.valid?
+        expect(project.identifier).to be_nil
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index 103e90ada..7cc065aa6 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -277,6 +277,28 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe '#parsed_roles' do
+    it 'returns array of role names when roles is set to comma-separated string' do
+      user = build(:user, roles: 'role-1,role-2')
+      expect(user.parsed_roles).to eq(%w[role-1 role-2])
+    end
+
+    it 'strips leading & trailing spaces from role names' do
+      user = build(:user, roles: ' role-1 , role-2 ')
+      expect(user.parsed_roles).to eq(%w[role-1 role-2])
+    end
+
+    it 'returns empty array when roles is set to empty string' do
+      user = build(:user, roles: '')
+      expect(user.parsed_roles).to eq([])
+    end
+
+    it 'returns empty array when roles is set to nil' do
+      user = build(:user, roles: nil)
+      expect(user.parsed_roles).to eq([])
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#admin?' do
     it 'returns true if the user has the editor-admin role in Hydra' do
       user = build(:user, roles: 'editor-admin')
@@ -287,15 +309,17 @@
       user = build(:user, roles: 'another-editor-admin')
       expect(user).not_to be_admin
     end
+  end
 
-    it 'returns false if roles are empty in Hydra' do
-      user = build(:user, roles: '')
-      expect(user).not_to be_admin
+  describe '#experience_cs_admin?' do
+    it 'returns true if the user has the experience-cs-admin role in Hydra' do
+      user = build(:user, roles: 'experience-cs-admin')
+      expect(user).to be_experience_cs_admin
     end
 
-    it 'returns false if roles are nil in Hydra' do
-      user = build(:user, roles: nil)
-      expect(user).not_to be_admin
+    it 'returns false if the user does not have the experience-cs-admin role in Hydra' do
+      user = build(:user, roles: 'another-admin')
+      expect(user).not_to be_experience_cs_admin
     end
   end