The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) announced the launch of its ʻOhana Help Desk, which will provide self-service and chat support for families experiencing issues connecting to HIDOE systems remotely from home. In an Aug. 4 press release, HIDOE said the state has invested $1.7 million to establish the help desk.
The Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) announced Aug. 6 the publication of a new website to provide a consolidated resource for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) in Illinois.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is working with local school districts statewide to implement two new pieces of legislation designed to give school districts the technology they need to facilitate distance learning.
The State of New York is looking to invest heavily in modernizing K-12 technology. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state has allocated $94 million for “reimagining teaching and learning for the 21st century.” As part of this round of funding, Cuomo approved 148 Smart Schools Investment Plans.
The National Science Foundation is investing in introducing quantum information science into K-12 schools, awarding a $750,000 award to an Illinois-based organization that is looking to spread quantum-related curricula.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has partnered with Sandy Hook Promise to deliver an application system in which middle and high school students can anonymously report safety threats.
After President Donald Trump signed a computer science education memorandum on Sept. 25, IBM called for Congress to continue the push for better STEM education by renewing a bill to increase technical education standards.
Kansas plans to invest as much as $100 million to improve Internet access at school districts statewide, thanks to a partnership between Kansas state agencies and EducationSuperHighway.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe aims to encourage greater high school interest in cybersecurity through the launch of Virginia’s “NSA Day of Cyber” School Challenge, which exposes high school students to virtual cyber scenarios and the tools NSA agents use in dealing with cyber.
