Early Spring Updates 2025

4/7/2025

CodeJoy FREE Summer PD!

CodeJoy is thrilled to announce its continued partnership with the Infosys Foundation USA for another summer of dynamic, interactive professional development. 3, FREE, virtual CodeJoy courses you won’t want to miss:

AI Literacy and Ethics for Education
Robot Petting Zoo: PBL with the Hummingbird
Micro:bit in the Wild

With 26 different courses to choose from, the Pathfinders Summer Institute promises to be an unforgettable experience for public and public charter school teachers and community librarians nationwide.

When: Sessions are happening in June, July, and August (flexible scheduling available)
Where: Virtual

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Animatronics Unleashed: From Beginner Builds to Advanced Designs

Join CodeJoy as they partner with BirdBrain Technologies for this FREE 1-hour workshop! Learn how to create exciting and complex designs from simple moving mechanisms with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit.

When: Tuesday, April 15, 7:00-8:00pm ET
Where: Virtual on Zoom (live, plus a recording will be sent out)

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Creative Circuits: CodeJoy & Chibitronics Explore Circuit Sketcher

Join CodeJoy for this FREE 1-hour workshop! Learn how to use the innovative Circuit Sketcher platform to combine creativity and technology to make art that lights up - literally!

When: Tuesday, May 13, 7:00-8:00pm ET
Where: Virtual on Zoom (live, plus a recording will be sent out)

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Free CodeJoy Student Session

CodeJoy is offering a FREE student sessions!

Invite your colleagues to bring their students to control CodeJoy's robots during the broadcast - LIVE!
Students join from their own computers or Chromebooks, and NO hardware, software, or prior coding experience is needed.
Most appropriate for beginner to intermediate learners ages 8-14.
No student accounts needed! All your students will connect with the same link!

Choose from these sessions on these date:
Robot DJ (micro:bit): Friday, April 25, 2025
NASA TechRise Student Challenge: Learn More about NASA TechRise

Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Friday, May 2, 2025

Where: Zoom (live)

Description of Robot Rovers and Other Student Shows

Teach Engineering Champions Institute

Are you a formal or informal K-12 educator who has…

PASSION for engineering education
Commitment to student EMPOWERMENT
Leadership and ADVOCACY in your educational space
MENTORSHIP with your colleagues
Continuous professional LEARNING and growth objectives

Apply to become a Teach Engineering Champion and attend the Teach Engineering Champions Institute. A Teach Engineering Champion is a K-12 formal or informal educator who demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing engineering education. They are passionate about fostering innovation, problem-solving, and critical thinking in all students through the teaching of engineering concepts, skills, and practices.

Applications will close on April 30, 2025.

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APPLY NOW

Practical AI in the Classroom with Robotics

Looking to introduce AI in your classroom but unsure where to start? Join BirdBrain for a two-week, hands-on course to learn how the Finch Robot can help you make machine learning and programming accessible and engaging for your students.

During this interactive, virtual course, you’ll learn how to bring AI concepts to life using the Finch Robot and block-based coding languages. Every participant will receive a FREE Finch Robot to use during the course and keep afterward!

Who:

Public or public charter school teachers
Teachers who work with grades 4-12
Program at a beginner or intermediate level
Want to integrate AI in a practical, engaging way

When: July 21–August 1, 8–11am CST
Where: Virtual

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Creative Coding & Storytelling 2025

This 5-day (40-hour) professional development course is designed to equip K–12 educators (Grades 2–12) with the skills to integrate coding, digital storytelling, and responsible AI use into their classrooms. This course is entirely FREE thanks to funding from Infosys Foundation USA.

Project-Based Learning: Learn key coding concepts
Cross-Curricular Integration: Blend creative coding with subjects like ELA, Science, and Social Studies
Collaborative Educator Community: Work with fellow teachers to collaboratively code and customize lessons for your students
Classroom-Ready Resources: Walk away with custom lesson plans and immediately applicable projects to engage your students

Who: Open to U.S. public school teachers (including charter school teachers), public librarians, and district tech specialists.
No prior coding experience required!
When: July 21 – July 25, 2025, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
Where: Virtual

Application deadline is May 31st, 2025.

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The Future of Work Faculty Academy Spring Forum 2025

The Faculty Academy of SWPA at Penn State New Kensington will hold the Spring Forum on May 19-21, 2025. This exciting three-day event brings together educators, researchers and workforce leaders for innovative discussions on research, growth and workforce development.

Days 1 and 2 (May 19-20)	Day 3 (May 21)
Engage in hands-on sessions at the ARM Institute at Mill 19 focused on: Robotics innovation Industry research collaborations Digital Twin of AR/VR learning Creative AI and leadership development Growth mindset strategies	Dive deep at the Hotel Indigo in Oakland, where you'll participate in: Business research storytelling workshops Expansive dialogues with workforce development experts Insightful sessions led by thought leaders

Please register by May 16, 2025.

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High School Student Spotlight at the Upcoming Global Impact Forum (TGIF) 2025

Are you looking for a platform to showcase the incredible ideas and solutions your students have developed to make a difference in their community? The High School Student Spotlight is their chance to shine, highlighting their creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills to a wide audience of entrepreneurs, innovators, industry professionals, and higher education institutions.

Spotlight Details

One table to showcase a project or visual representation of ideas
Maximum of five students per presentation group
Conference registration not required for participation

Benefits to Students

Connect with like-minded peers and mentors
Explore future careers
Network with education, industry and community leaders

When: Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM (lunch provided)
Where: Pittsburgh, PA

Final deadline to apply: September 15, 2025

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2025 Education Vanguard Conference Proposal Submissio

This is your chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of education and industry. The 2025 Education Vanguard Conference is looking for session proposals that showcase how technology and innovation are driving change in business, education, and beyond. The 2025 Education Vanguard Conference is hoping to learn more about the leading-edge technology you are using, the topics students should or are currently learning, and your future plans for integrating that technology.

The 2025 conference will be held in Fall of 2025 in Pittsburgh.

EXHIBITOR APPLICATION