Students from Wetumpka Elementary School in Alabama participated in a STEM field trip to a local roller skating rink, where they engaged in hands-on activities designed by retired teacher Tina Perdue. The program, STEMTASTIC, aligns with the state curriculum and includes lessons on potential and kinetic energy, Newton's third law of motion and engineering.

Students in California's Oakland Unified School District who participated in at least 10 sessions of the MathBOOST program experienced an average increase of eight points on district math assessments compared to nonparticipants, according to a Northwestern University study. The program for recovery and advancement involved choosing tutors who knew the students -- like a family member or neighbor -- then training them, paying them and arranging for high-dose tutoring.

The GAME ON! program, developed by Melinda Dyer, is the focus of this year's $5,000 Ohio STEM Classroom Grant at Cambridge Primary School. The project engages K-2 students in exploring six types of simple machines through experiments, building projects and collaborative game design, while also introducing students and families to STEM-related career industries and strengthening connections between classroom learning and real-world applications.

Rosie Riveters, an Alexandria-based nonprofit, is expanding its STEM education reach to 2,300 students from six schools in Virginia. This initiative introduces hands-on STEM lesson kits, aiming to foster problem-solving skills through trial and error experiences. The organization's efforts target workforce gaps by encouraging more girls and young women to explore STEM fields, emphasizing community connections and future job opportunities.

QTS Data Centers and UW-Madison have launched a $1.5 million partnership to advance research on data center sustainability. This collaboration is part of QTS's broader $50 million commitment to community initiatives in Dane County. It will fund over a dozen faculty projects at UW-Madison, connecting academic research with real-world challenges in digital infrastructure.

Asobo -- a Raleigh-N.C.-based K-12 startup -- uses AI to adapt game-like math modules for each student via a database of 300,000 questions. AI helps personalize the questions to match a student's grade level, background, learning disabilities and needs.