Friday, Sep 04, 2026
The Center for Educational Strategy & Innovation has had an exciting start to the 2026–2027 school year, expanding opportunities for educators to learn, connect, explore, and bring new ideas back to their classrooms. Throughout July and August, we partnered with educators and school districts across South Florida to provide engaging, relevant, and hands-on professional learning experiences spanning STEM, mathematics, science, environmental education, instructional practice, and artificial intelligence. From welcoming new teachers as they began their careers with the School District of Palm Beach County to connecting educators with authentic STEM learning experiences in our local environment, the summer offered many opportunities to discover new ways to engage students and bring learning to life.
A particularly exciting area of growth has been the expansion of our district-wide professional learning partnerships. In partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County and Broward County Public Schools, the Center has provided over a dozen professional learning sessions reaching nearly 400 educators and instructional leaders. We are continuing to build relationships with school districts throughout Florida, with a full professional learning conference scheduled in September with Collier County Public Schools. These partnerships allow us to work directly with district leaders to provide professional learning that responds to their unique needs while creating opportunities for strategies and resources to reach educators across their schools.
Artificial intelligence was another important focus this summer as we worked with educators to explore how emerging technologies can thoughtfully support teaching and learning. Through hands-on exploration and collaborative discussion, educators considered the possibilities and responsibilities that come with integrating AI into education. The strong interest we continue to see in this area reinforces the importance of helping educators navigate new technologies with creativity, intentionality, and a focus on student learning.
The start of the school year included two “Change the Story” professional learning experiences on August 22; one focused on effective science instruction and learning and one focused on successful mathematics teaching and learning. Together, these experiences brought 35 teachers together to explore engaging approaches for strengthening content learning while cultivating greater curiosity, participation, and joy in mathematics and science.
At the heart of all of this work is a simple belief: when we invest in educators, we multiply impact for students. As we move into the 2026–2027 school year, we are grateful for the educators, district leaders, facilitators, and community partners who continue to learn alongside us. We look forward to expanding these partnerships, creating new opportunities for discovery and innovation, and supporting educators as they inspire the next generation of learners.