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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 […]

At kickoff events for our Student Sustainability Design Challenge (SSDC), students met dozens of professionals in the sustainability field and brainstormed ideas for moving their own communities toward greater sustainability. Professionals from nearly two dozen businesses, universities, and nonprofits supported students at both kickoffs and will connect with them throughout the year, providing information about […]

Imagine heading into a professional development program and being greeted by an enthusiastic trainer. Upbeat music is playing and it is clear that time and effort have been made to help you feel welcome and appreciated as an educator.  That’s the experience that members of our Building a Positive School Climate cohort had as they […]

What might high school career readiness look like if those career experiences were designed by the students themselves?  Each year, the students in the Consortium’s Future Ready Leaders (FRL) program tackle that very question. Working alongside teachers and counselors, students draw on their own experiences and expertise to co-create career-related learning opportunities for their peers. […]

The success and impact of project-based learning often lies in the little details of instructional design:  how to craft an effective driving question; how to facilitate feedback between students; or how to guide students through a structured brainstorming process. Our Project-Based Learning (PBL) Resources dig into all of those small, but mighty strategies that help [...]