CodeJoy is offering free professional development and hardware to teachers through the Summer Pathfinders Online Institute again this year - and there is still time to sign up!

Why Live Pathfinders Summer Institute

• Free PD & Free hardware

• 3 course choices from CodeJoy

• Limited spots available

The Courses

• AI Literacy and Ethics for Educators: This all new AI course will help teachers navigate the world of AI with confidence. Learn practical strategies for integrating and evaluating AI tools and outputs into your curriculum through engaging discussions and practical activities led by experts in the field. This summer, we’re working with CMU CREATE Lab alum and Fulbright Scholar Dr. Jordan Mroziak!

• Micro:bit in the Wild: This course is back with all new updates! In this course, we will take learning outdoors! Explore environmental literacy through hands-on activities with micro:bits. Receive 10 free micro:bits shipped to your home! Taught by CodeJoy’s own Amanda Jeane Strode.

• Robot Petting Zoo: PBL with the Hummingbird: Ignite creativity and problem-solving skills with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit. Design and host your own Robot Petting Zoo event next school year! Receive a free Hummingbird Premium Kit shipped to your home! Taught by CodeJoy’s Kelsey Derringer, and the originator of the RPZ, Matt Chilbert.

• Participants may only enroll in one course.

REGISTRATION LINK: https://go.codejoy.org/pathfinders2025

Are you interested in giving your students exciting new opportunities in flight and coding? If so, this event is for you! This hands-on workshop for teachers will begin with the assembly of a Hopper drone. Once assembled, participants will learn basic flight terminology and safety before flying the drone with a controller and/or mobile device. Participants will then have an introduction to block coding to plan and execute a series of flights. Finally, we will discuss how we can support teachers in developing a pathway to incorporating a drone program in your district.

Join us on May 22, 2025 - Additional information and registration can be found on the link below.

discoverED 2025, scheduled for the afternoon of Tuesday, May 6, 2025, is a virtual collaborative design challenge organized and led by the Fox Chapel Area School District. This event marks the official kickoff of Remake Learning Days in Pennsylvania, a learning festival for students and families. Remake Learning Days will be held across Pennsylvania from May 1-May 23, 2025.

During the discoverED 2025 celebration, schools across the state with diverse demographics will partner and "exchange" students in the afternoon, both in-person and virtually. Together, they will explore how STEAM and maker practices positively impact children. These virtual collaboration opportunities aim to create meaningful connections between teachers and students for years to come.

The highlight of discoverED 2025 will be a culminating joint activity. Participating schools will connect virtually as students plan, create, and refine their creation of a bridge to help an animal at risk of becoming endangered. Images and videos of the event will be shared using the hashtags #discoverED, #RemakeDays, #RLD10, and #CareerReadyPA.

Want to Join Us?

discoverED 2025 is just one part of the incredible Remake Learning Days in Pennsylvania! Visit www.remakelearningdays.org to learn more about these exciting educational opportunities for all students.

Please complete the form at https://bit.ly/discoverED2025InterestForm to indicate your district's interest.

Remake Learning Days is a joyful celebration of hands-on learning events across Pennsylvania.RLD launched in May 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA as the largest open-house for families featuring hands-on learning. Your school can get involved with Remake Learning Days in the following ways:

1. Host an event

2. Promote events in your area

3. Register for the Career Ready PA Backpack Challenge

4. Participate in the discoverED design challenge (grades 1-2)

For more information, visit the link below.

PAECT is a statewide organization of about 4000 educators. Some are classroom teachers, technology coaches, computer teachers, virtual cyber school teachers, tech directors, higher ed professors, pre service teachers, etc.

Individuals can become free members or they can pay $35 a year to be a premium member. Of course that comes with some perks, including access to OTIS a professional development platform, access to statewide webinars, book studies, and many times premium members can attend in person and virtual events for free.

This is a group of innovative educators who are trying new things - incorporating meaningful tech into the classroom, providing STEM experiences for their students, implementing the STEELS standards, etc.

Click HERE to learn more about our Southwest Region of PAECT. Click HERE to become a FREE member.

AT Making – Solder, Switches & Stuffing

March 6, 2025 - FREE

Discover skills for helping your students create accessible technology solutions by learning soldering and other useful techniques.

Are you looking for projects that your school’s STEAM program or club can use to develop and hone basic making skills? Are you curious about additional, real-life applications for the tools and skills your students are learning? Are you wondering how you can hack toys to make them more accessible to children with physical disabilities?

This hands-on workshop will introduce participants to assistive technology (AT) making skills to create usable access products. Participants will learn basic soldering to join wire segments and assemble mono and stereo components for use in a variety of assistive technology applications. Those skills – along with some 3D-printed parts – will be applied to create a mechanical switch that could be used by an individual with physical disabilities. Each participant will also make a battery interrupter and switch-adapt a stuffed, electronic toy that can be used with the scratch-built switch.

Skill Level: Beginner (no previous knowledge expected or needed)

What to Bring | All materials will be provided for this workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring a reusable shopping bag to carry completed projects home at the end of the day.

Who Should Attend | STEAM teachers and other educators who would like to learn valuable “making” skills in ways that can increase accessibility for others

Lunch will be provided.

Click here to register.

Best for grades 4 – 8

Request Your Free Kit!

WPSU is excited to offer classroom kits (up to 25 students/kit) for educators to use to support their instruction around microchips and semiconductors. Students will enjoy the new digital series, Chip Kids, as they go through the steps of understanding the concepts behind microchips with an engaging host, activities modeled by young students, and an inside look at the industry in the making! The WPSU Microchip Classroom Kits will provide all the materials needed to follow along with these episodes and allow for hands-on application to deepen their understanding.

Supplies limited, you will receive a follow-up notice confirming the receipt of a kit.

Request your kit soon!

Receive funding as a Remake Learning Days Host! $$

We will be distributing these kits in time to use during Remake Learning Days. As a Remake Learning Host you will be eligible to apply for a mini grant (options of $100/$250 awards) to extend this program. Use additional funds to bring in a special guest, add in supplemental materials, have a pizza party…you decide! When you request your classroom kit more information will be provided on how to apply.

Storytime STEM-packs

Storytime STEM-packs are designed as stand-alone 45-minute activities focused on a particular STEM concept that can be flexibly integrated into existing curriculum. For standards-alignment please visit www.storytimestem.com.

Packs include:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Earth Day Adventures 1 and 2

Moon Adventures 1 and 2

Over and Under the Pond

**NEW**

Storytime STEM Packs are aligned with the K-2 PA STEELS Environmental Literacy & Sustainability standards!

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Participation in the ARIN Lending Library offers you access to over 100 STEM tools. Sign up for an account, search our inventory, request materials, and have them delivered to your school. Our library includes robotics kits for all ages, drones, virtual field trip kits, and more! Click here for more information.

📣 Check out the link below for information on Assistive Technology services provided by ARIN.

ARIN supports the implementation of the Pennsylvania Integrated Standards for Science, Technology & Engineering, and Environmental Literacy and Sustainability (PA STEELS Standards) by providing assistance for building curriculum, instruction, and assessment capacity.

Please click here for details on 2024-25 trainings and supports for the STEELS Standards.

ARIN convenes diverse stakeholder groups to establish STEM/Computer Science partnerships and create meaningful programs as part of dynamic collective impact networks (STEM Ecosystems) in support of authentic real-world and relevant STEM/computer science learning and career readiness. For more information, please contact Stacie Isenberg at sisenberg@iu28.org.

Armstrong Indiana Career Pathways Partnership

ARIN Career Readiness Updates

Chief Science Officers (CSO) Program

Check out the career readiness news & updates from ARIN IU28.

These sessions are appropriate for any teacher, K-12 who will address the Technology & Engineering standards from STEELS. If you are a STEM teacher or any teacher interested in addressing the T&E standards, this network is for you!

STEM Networking sessions are free and will be in collaboration with Westmoreland County IU7. Click here to register.

• September 23, 2024
• November 19, 2024
• February 3, 2025
• April 30, 2025

25-26 Dates:

September 26, 2025

November 10, 2025

February 9, 2026

April 9, 2026

ARIN supports the development and implementation of local, regional, and state STEM and Computer Science related competitions. Look for the following competitions for the upcoming school year.

The Keystone Competition 🚨NEW FOR 25-26🚨

This exciting, single-day event invites students in three grade bands; 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12, to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve in a dynamic, hands-on environment styled after a hack-a-thon. The current plans for this event will take place at participating IUs and will launch synchronously on October 14, 2025. We see this as an exciting opportunity to engage students, advisors, and our STEM Ecosystem partners around designing solutions to real-world challenges while preparing them to further participate in a host of other STEM and design competitions throughout the year.

PA Invention Convention -

• 25-26 ARIN Regional Competition - December 16, 2025
• State Competition - February 2026, PETE&C

Media and Design Competition (MadCom)

• 25-26 ARIN Regional Competition - March 16, 2026

STEM Design Challenge -

• 25-26 ARIN Regional Competition - March 10, 2026
• State Competition - Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg on Friday, May 9, 2025

24 Math Challenge -

PA Governor's STEM Competition -

ARIN supports the growth and implementation of K-12 Computer Science Education and the 7-12

Computer Science Educator Certification (CSPG-71) in collaboration with PaTTAN via CSinPA.

CS4ALL SCRIPT Workshops - CS alignment for districts

CSinPA Newsletters

CSinPA 7-12 - Computer Science Praxis Pathway - resources and supports for taking the 7-12 CS Praxis

CS Standards & STEELS Standards Crosswalks

The CS Standards & STEELS Standards Crosswalks created by PaTTAN is now hosted in two filterable databases, allowing you to filter by STEELS discipline, CS concepts, and grade levels.

The database now also incorporates the Science (3.1-3.3) STEELS standards crosswalks.

Click the crosswalks to learn more about the updates and how to integrate STEELS and CS standards into your instruction.

Additional Resources

CMU Computer Science Academy

Google CS First

Code.org