APS plans to double student enrollment at Arlington Tech by 2029-30

 from ARLnow:

County school leaders have announced growth plans for the Arlington Tech program, which will include a doubling of the student body by the 2029-30 school year.

At the same time, Arlington Public Schools confirmed Friday, Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. as the application deadline for county students interested in vying for spots at the Arlington Tech program — and other option schools and programs — to have their applications submitted.

County school leaders will use the opening of the new Grace Hopper Center in August to provide the additional space needed for expansion of the Arlington Tech program from 500 to 1,000 students in a four-year process.

According to school leaders:

“This expansion ensures that more students can access Arlington Tech, which blends rigorous academic instruction with innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in STEM fields and emerging technologies, through project-based learning, dual-enrollment pathways towards an associate’s degree and year-long senior ‘capstone’ through internships with industry partners.”

APS leaders said the expansion comes at a critical time for preparing students for

Invention Virginia / Invention DC Schedules - March/April 2026

 Find all of our Invention Education resources
at InventionVirginia.net or InventionDC.net

HackBI - Bishop Ireton - January 17-18

 HackBI is an annual hackathon for middle and high school students that has been run by the students of Bishop Ireton High School for 9 consecutive years. At HackBI, you will learn new things and collaborate with others to make your ideas come to life. Check out our FAQ if you have any questions.

Interested in being a sponsor? Contact us!

i2i FutureReady Career Exploration Event - March 11-12 - Register by January 9!

 EMPLOYERS SHOULD REGISTER
BY JANUARY 9 !!

See all details at https://virginiaedstrategies.org/instruction-2-industry/

 About the Conference

Today's Students are Tomorrow's Workforce!

The event runs March 11 & 12, 2026, from 10am to 1pm each day at Inova Conference Center in Fairfax, with a different group of students attending on each date! More than 1,600 high school students from eight school divisions in the northern Virginia region will attend this year’s Future Ready Conference!

Participating school divisions include: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Loudoun, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Prince William.

This dynamic two-day regional event connects students with over 125+ local industry professionals from high-demand career fields. Organized by career clusters, the conference allows students to explore related occupations, see how different career paths connect, and discover the skills and education needed for success.

Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation Internship and Leadership Opportunities

 Read details at
 www.childsci.org/get-involved/internship 

Internship Opportunities

The Youth Development Initiative strives to develop and implement successful
internships opportunities that provide students with the skills and experiences needed
to obtain and maintain employment. These internships utilize a combination of formal
instruction, mentoring, hands-on STEM experience, project based learning, and
continuous feedback. It is the Science Center’s vision to continue growing this program
into a gateway experience to internships and potential employment with local
companies with a focus on underrepresented populations. The Science Center’s Youth Development Initiative includes an extensive variety of internships and leadership programs for high school and college-aged youth. Since 2015, the Science Center has engaged over 300 interns through youth development programs in the community and at the Lab. For important questions, email internships@childsci.org.

The Science Center operates internship and leadership programs throughout the year:

• STEM Summer Camp Internship
• Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Internship
• Youth Advisory Board
• Animal Husbandry Internship
• Communications Internship

See details at  https://www.childsci.org/get-involved/internship 

Washington Post: Scientists describe influential children's books

The Washington Post's column by Michael J. Coren

 and

 

Hailey Haymond 

 

provides a great discussion (hyperlinked too) of children's books that scientists reported were influential in their childhood.

Read it here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2025/best-books-science-stem-kids 

What to tell your rising senior about AI and their future

 

Reposted from Substack:  Subscribe here for more A letter to teens about AI and jobs Some practical advice about what you should to be on the right side of disruption Alex Kotran Dec 9   READ IN APP   Episode six in our YouTube series, “Raising Kids in the Age of AI” focused on “Preparing kids for careers in an AI world.” It’s by far the most popular. That episode was tailored to parents, but I decided that I want to write something directly for the kids themselves on the topic. After all, Gen Z is probably more clued in to the growing chorus about the impact of AI on jobs than anyone else. A note to parents and educators: This letter is written directly to teens—specifically a rising senior in high school—but it applies to anyone wondering how to make decisions about their future. If you have a young person in your life navigating these questions, consider sharing this with them. Or read it yourself; the framing might help you give better advice. Either way, I hope it’s useful. Here’s the TL;DR: AI is real and will massively disrupt the job market right as you’re starting your career. But every industrial revolution has created more jobs than it destroyed. The key is being on the right side of the transition. The old playbook is dead: “pick the ‘safe’ major, follow the predictable path. Instead,