News

School leaders frequently find themselves in professional development opportunities that check a box but don’t support their growth as a leader. Our two Act 45 courses provide administrators with new tools and collaborative growth, as well as the chance to apply that learning directly to existing challenges in their systems.  New for 2025 is our […]

Our latest set of instructional resources explain the key elements of project-based learning in easy-to-understand, shareable handouts. Each one-pager highlights a specific why, how, and key strategy to help bring PBL to life in your classroom. Key project design elements include:  PBL assessments; learning outcomes; student voice & choice; real world connections; driving questions; research; […]

Many people, particularly those with family members who worked in factories a generation ago, have misconceptions about what it means to work in manufacturing industries today. That’s the reason Catalyst Connection offers Industry 4.0 Teacher Academy in partnership with the Consortium. The hope is that these professional development seminars will help educators give students an […]

Many schools in our Building a Positive School Climate (BPSC) cohort are embarking on a transformative journey – implementing a House System to encourage academic achievement, teamwork, and belonging. A House System is a structure that “sorts” students into “houses” themed around specific characteristics that are important to the school. Students then work as a […]

In December 2023, Governor Shapiro signed Act 56 into law. This Act allows schools to change how they count the time students spend in school. Instead of the previously required 180 days, schools can choose to provide elementary students with 900 hours of instruction and secondary students with 990 hours/year. Schools also have the flexibility [...]

Educators of color are deeply underrepresented in Pennsylvania schools, making it ever more difficult to inspire non-white students to pursue careers in K12 education. With that challenge in mind, a few years ago we sought to elevate and share the stories of Black educators in our region as a way to create “mirrors” for young […]

One thing Educator in the Workforce (EIW) never fails to do is bring the interests of employers, classroom teachers, and school counselors to an intersection—the crossroads at which students think about careers. A site visit to Pittsburgh International Airport, the first of three EIW experiences scheduled for Cornell School District this year, was a case […]

The Consortium’s Student Sustainability Design Challenge (SSDC), now in its second year, has expanded to 15 schools and two CTCs spread across Western Pennsylvania. With more than 200 students in the program, the SSDC added a second kickoff event this year to accommodate rapidly growing student and teacher interest.  The SSDC represents a culmination of [...]

“How might we design a high-impact global learning training for rural PA educators?” This was the question that the Consortium was tasked with as a design partner in collaboration with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.  The Consortium joined with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh (WACP) in May as professional development consultants to co-design [...]

Students and educators are encouraged to take a look at our Snack & Learn video series which includes interviews with and presentations by professionals from businesses, administrators from higher education institutions, and advocates for students. Designed for students during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, these resources can help students with specific information to inform […]