APS Esports in Albuquerque, N.M., a NASEF affiliate, started its program in 2018 and has grown from under 100 high school students to over 1,500 students in elementary, middle, K-8 and high schools districtwide. Scholastic Esports remains their focus with emphasis on the many positive benefits of esports that include soft skills like teamwork, problem solving, collaboration, communication, leadership and more.

An Atlanta middle school has launched a learning lab with robotics stations, 3D printers, and virtual and augmented reality tools for hands-on, technology-driven education. The lab at Sylvan Hills Middle School is part of an effort to close the digital divide and prepare students for a rapidly evolving global market.

Pinnacle Canyon Academy in Utah excelled at the Ken Garff Esports Invitational, winning first place in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Unified Esports competition and the coding competition. The event, held at Utah State University Eastern, aims to promote teamwork, digital literacy and connections with college recruiters.

Iowa State University researchers, in collaboration with Polk County Emergency Management, are developing an online training game designed to simulate emergency response scenarios during severe weather events. The game aims to provide public safety professionals with an immersive, interactive environment to practice real-time decision-making, resource allocation, and interagency communication. By presenting players with unpredictable situations, such as a derecho striking a crowded urban farmer's market, the game challenges participants to adapt, coordinate, and respond effectively, addressing gaps that traditional tabletop exercises might overlook.

AI literacy requires students to do more than prompt chatbots, and computer science education can give them an understanding of the data, algorithms and models that underpin AI, writes Jake Baskin of the Computer Science Teachers Association. Professional development, learning communities and curriculum support for computer science educators can help them guide students through evolving concepts and technologies, Baskin notes.

Teachers who use class openers, collect regular feedback, give low-stakes quizzes and ensure brain breaks are using brain science to aid in teaching. Understanding the neuroscience of cognitive functions such as memory, attention and emotion can lead to meaningful shifts in classroom strategies, resulting in improved student outcomes in math, reading and empathy.