Louisiana State University, in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education, has launched the Ignite Initiative—a $500,000 program providing free computer science professional learning for elementary teachers across Louisiana. Overseen by the Capital Area STEM Network Center (CASN) at LSU’s Gordon A. Cain Center for STEM Literacy, this project builds on the success of the Ignite Project and will train 200 educators through flexible, project-based workshops to integrate computer science into K–5 classrooms.

The 2025 EngineerGirl Writing Contest opened in September. The theme this year is “Innovating Smarter” and we’re asking students to write a piece describing a common object they would make “smart” and tell us what it would do, how it would help people, and what could go wrong. The contest is open to all students, of any gender, in grades 3-12 and the deadline is February 1, 2025. The prize for first place in each of three grade categories is $1,000. There is also a note for educators and tips for using the contest in a classroom on the EngineerGirl website.

The 2025 VEX Robotics Regional and State Competitions will bring nearly 1,000 students together at LSU to showcase their STEM skills and creativity on January 25, 2025, and February 22-23, 2025, with opportunities for volunteers and sponsors to support young innovators in action.