June 24, 2026



CEO 3

• Well the summer break is finally here for many of you! As my grandchildren refer to this day as "Summer First!" Congratulations on the impact you have made on our future with the students you serve, either directly or indirectly every single day. Now, take a deep breath - and get ready for a nice, long summer of rest, relaxation, and intentional PD! For some great ideas - see below - especially the AI summer virtual camp sessions!

• Welcome to our newly elected board member Ed Finney, who will begin his term on July 1. Departing from the board after many years of service is Laurie Yager. Laurie has been such a key component of our team, always being the voice of our members and the teachers we serve. Thank you Laurie for years of volunteer professional service, STEAMfest Champion, and Maker Extraordinaire! But rest assured, NYSCATE members, we are not letting Laurie off that easy - she will remain an important part of our Annual Conference Team and assist in the planning of our popular Girls Leadership Camps throughout the state.

• We have 21 foursomes thus far for the golf tournament!!! If you are on the fence - time to get off and register your team. It is a beautiful course with great people for a NYSCATE cause - with every penny going back to NY schools through the classroom grants and scholarships for our members. As I said before, if you need convincing, just give me a call or send me an email - adelcorvo@nyscate.org. All golfers and educators welcome - you do not have to be a NYSCATE member, or involved in education. We welcome everyone for this great event!

NYSCATE is proud to recognize the following educational technology leaders who have successfully earned the Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL®) credential through CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking).



Please join us in congratulating:



• Dr. Zach Dane, Executive Director Division of Instructional and Information Technology, New York City Department of Education

• Jennifer L. Freedman, Director of Instructional Technology & Innovation, Lindenhurst Union Free School District

• Dr. Andrea Tejedor, NYSCATE

The CETL certification is a nationally recognized credential that validates expertise in educational technology leadership, strategic planning, instructional technology, and the effective management of technology resources to support teaching and learning. Earning this certification demonstrates a commitment to professional excellence and the knowledge required to lead digital transformation initiatives in K–12 education.

We applaud these leaders for their dedication to continuous learning and their commitment to advancing educational technology in support of students, educators, and school communities.

Are you interested in becoming a CETL® Certified Leader? Join our next cohort that begins on July 8, 2026!

Begins July 7

Free for Premium Members

$5 for Members

1 hour Webinars

Make plans to join NYSCATE and Classlink for the Linkside Leadership Exchange as well as the Linkside Celebration for Ed Leaders on Thursday, July 23 at Turning Stone. The day will be filled with great discourse from leaders in the field before gathering at night for our pre-golf tournament celebration which includes awards, networking, hors d'oeuvres and dinner. Register today as space is limited and don't forget to nominate an Innovative Educator that deserves to be recognized!

Join a practical, educator-friendly book study of Wonder, By Design: A Framework for Pedagogical Innovation that helps teachers redesign learning with purpose, curiosity, and real classroom feasibility. By the end, participants will leave with a classroom-ready innovation cycle (including a redesigned lesson or mini-unit), an AI-supported differentiation toolkit, and the confidence and preparation needed to complete Gemini certification.

New York Inspired!

Summer Virtual Summit

August 11 & 12

9AM - 12PM

Presentations Proposals Now Being Accepted!



Capital Region BOCES/NERIC

900 Watervliet-Shaker Road

Albany, New York

September 17, 2026

Hosted in Partnership with the following:

• NERIC
• NYSSBA
• NYSCATE
• NYSCOSS

Become involved with NYSCATE!

2026 NYSCATE Educator Institute

2026 National K–12 Cybersecurity Survey

NYSCATE is proud to partner with Project Tomorrow's Speak Up initiative on the  2026 National K–12 Cybersecurity Survey , a partnership with iboss. The survey is part of a five-year longitudinal research effort focused on the real cyberattack threats facing district network infrastructure and student data. 

Here is an opportunity from our partners at Project Tomorrow to gain insights and access free resources that strengthen your cybersecurity posture.

About the survey 

This survey is a critical tool in providing you with actionable data on cybersecurity. 

• It's free and confidential.
• It takes approximately 13 minutes to complete.
• Results benchmark your district's readiness against peers nationwide.
• Findings inform K-12 cybersecurity policy.
• Special survey link for NYSCATE members https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NYPTCyber
• Survey closes: August 31, 2026

Why It Matters 

• Data that comes back to you. Data from districts that participate with the unique NYSCATE link will be captured in an aggregated data brief that can be used for planning, and advocacy. Here is the link  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NYPTCyber
• A national peer network. Participating districts are invited to join the Project Tomorrow K-12 Cybersecurity Working Group, sponsored by iboss. These complimentary peer exchanges run now through November 2026, connecting district CTOs, CISOs, and technology directors across the country. This is a high-value, no-cost connection you will gain. 
• A voice in five years of research. District participation shapes what gets studied and what gets surfaced. Your experience matters to this work.

Please complete the survey in a timely manner so that NYSCATE members are represented in the national findings. Thank you for all that you do to keep your districts cyber safe!!

See The Latest News From Our Corporate Council Partners!

A CORPORATE COUNCIL PARTNERSHIP INNITIATIVE

OF

NYSCATE & DELL TECHNOLOGIES

Many districts and educational organizations are being asked to respond to AI quickly, often without the time, structure, or real examples they need. The NYSCATE AI Use Case Project creates a supported pathway from AI idea to AI practice.

Participating districts, BOCES, RICs, and educational organizations will each identify one meaningful AI use case connected to a real need in their context. It might be rolling out AI guidance to students, building an instructional coaching chatbot for teachers, designing an AI-guided professional learning series, or something entirely different. The use case is yours to define.

Throughout the project, each team receives one-on-one planning and coaching support to move their use case from idea through implementation, including help with design, responsible-use considerations, and documenting what they learn. The work culminates in a showcase at the NYSCATE Annual Conference, and each team's story and artifacts will be published on the NYSCATE website as a growing statewide collection of practical AI implementation examples.

This is a working partnership where your team builds something real, with support, and the whole NYSCATE community benefits from what you create and learn!

As the first NY Inspired Fellowship cohort comes to a close, Thinkering Collective, NYSCATE, and Ulster BOCES are inviting educators from across New York to participate in a statewide storytelling and innovation series exploring one central question: What should learning look like in the year ahead?

Through a series of short conversations and podcast interviews, we'll be highlighting educators, leaders, innovators, and community voices who are helping shape the future of education throughout New York. Topics may include:

• Student engagement 
• AI and emerging technologies 
• Literacy and learning 
• Community partnerships 
• Career readiness 
• Human-centered learning 
• Student voice and agency 
• Innovation happening inside classrooms, schools, and districts 

Selected conversations will be featured through Thinkering Media, the Thinkering Minds Podcast, and an upcoming statewide storytelling initiative focused on elevating educator voices across New York. Whether you're leading innovation in your classroom, district, or community, we'd love to hear your story.

Interested in participating? Schedule your conversation here.

Great PD gets people moving, talking, and actually engaged.

With Goosechase, the platform built for exactly that, it's the default.

NYSCATE members get 50% off an Experience of up to 100 participants (discount price of $250)! Offer available for Experiences started before August 31, 2026.

Try one of these free templates to run with your staff:

• Who Are You? Who Am I?: An icebreaker for your next staff meeting
• Staff Professional Development Hunt: Mission-based PD by grade level or department, ready to adapt for end-of-year reflection or back-to-school prep

Get special pricing when you mention NYSCATE

How do we move the New York Portrait of a Graduate from a vision statement to a classroom reality?

It starts with Gold Standard Project Based Learning

PBLWorks TEACH is the premier digital platform designed to help NY educators cultivate the essential competencies our students need: Critical Thinking, Communication, and Cultural Competence. Access a curated library of high-quality, standards-aligned projects that turn passive learning into active exploration. TEACH provides the scaffolding to ensure every student graduates as a lifelong learner and a global citizen.

Turn-key Technologies Partners with HPE!

Seesaw Partners with YouTube for Education

We heard you! Over at Seesaw, we are thrilled to announce our new partnership with YouTube for Education. With a Seesaw Instruction & Insights subscription, teachers can now embed high-quality video content directly into lessons to create truly multimodal learning experiences.

Why you’ll love it:

• Distraction-free: Videos play directly in Seesaw without suggested content. 
• Enhanced Safety: Students stay within the platform, ensuring a secure and focused environment.
• Interactive Learning: Transforms passive viewing into an active and accessible learning experience. Students pause and reflect to answer questions at key points and reflect on the content.
• 
  

Learn more HERE!

Want a live demo or interested in trying this new premium feature out? Reach out to success@seesaw.me for more information.

NYSCATE is proud to be the state affiliate/chapter member in

New York for these national EdTech organizations.

National Coalition for Technology

in Education & Training