Building on the success of last year’ s inaugural summit, which drew more than 250 participants, this year’ s event offered an even more expansive lineup of sessions designed to inspire and equip educators to leverage emerging technologies for meaningful, human-centered learning.

Participants explored five core pathways: AI Foundations, AI in Action, Future-Ready Learning, Extended Reality, and Leadership & Operations. Through these tracks, attendees learned how artificial intelligence can streamline workflows, enhance instruction, and support ethical, responsible innovation in schools.

The event is the brainchild of South Fayette’ s Director of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Dr. Matt Callison and the Director of Curriculum Mrs. Cristine Wagner-Deitch.

“ As educators, we’ re not just responding to technological change, we’ re shaping what that change means for our students,” said Dr. Callison.“ This summit brings together some of the most forward-thinking minds in education to ensure that, in the age of AI, learning remains deeply human.”

The day featured a range of engaging and thought-provoking sessions, including a gamified escape-room experience focused on student data privacy, an introduction to The Algorithm Game exploring the influence of ranking systems and social media feeds, and a deep dive into Quantum Information Science career readiness. Educators also experimented with immersive reality, examined ethics in AI, and shared first-hand experiences using custom GPTs to enhance classroom learning.

“ There are lots of like-minded people here- the early adopters,” said presenter and attendee Troy Ulewicz, technology coach with Gateway School District.“ At big conferences like this, I always take ideas back to the classroom that can be game changers.”

A highlight of the summit was certainly the keynote speakers. The day began with returning keynote speaker Dr. Joseph T. Yun, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Architect and Research Professor at the University of Pittsburgh’ s Swanson School of Engineering. Dr. Yun explored the rapid evolution of AI, particularly in relation to software development, and encouraged the use of AI to support educators, leaders, and staff by automating the administrative tasks that often pull them away from their true purpose.“ I think everyone signed up to care for the students,” he said. He also emphasized keeping people at the center as AI expands all around us, noting that while AI can perform many functions, it has not mastered how humans care for one another.

The afternoon keynote was delivered by Derek Ham, Director of Carnegie Mellon University’ s Entertainment Technology Center( ETC), where he leads innovative research and collaborative projects at the intersection of technology, design, and storytelling. He shared how the ETC developed as a collaboration of diverse groups and discussed how disrupting

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