The Colorado Education Initiative

10/13/2026

Congratulations to Merci Ames of Strasburg School District 31J, named the 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year!

We're also celebrating all eight Teacher of the Year finalists and are proud to partner alongside each of their districts. From the Eastern Plains and mountain towns to the Front Range, seeing their educators recognized statewide is the best kind of news.

Here's to Merci, the finalists, and the communities that champion them.

Colorado Department of Education

10/06/2026

Attn: District and school leaders

Join Colorado Department of Education (CDE) this Thursday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. MDT for the first session in the TLCC Survey Data Relaunch webinar series. This FREE, virtual series will support education leaders in navigating the new reporting platform, unpacking their 2026 results, and turning educator voice into meaningful action.

Register for the first session: https://panoramaed.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OnDcC43kQXSzGxjGe8Ylbg #/registration

Explore the full series: https://ed.cde.state.co.us/tlcc

10/05/2026

REGISTER TODAY! An AI Day for Colorado Students and Educators

Join CEI and St. Vrain Valley Schools (SVVSD) this Saturday, October 10 for two free, hands-on events designed to make AI learning and implementation practical, engaging, and accessible.

One day, with one shared goal to design AI-ready experiences and systems that support thriving students and future-ready outcomes.

Educator Summit Information + Registration:
Spend the day exploring what AI can look like in your classrooms and learn from students along the way.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-ai-summit-educator-summit-tickets-1998494512886?aff=oddtdtcreator

Student Build-A-Thon Information + Registration:
Students ages 13+ will engage in a fast-paced day of imagining, building, testing, and sharing with AI https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-ai-summit-student-build-a-thon-tickets-1997984624797?aff=oddtdtcreator

We hope you’ll bring your students and your team to explore what’s possible with AI.

This AI day is sponsored by Cisco and MagicSchool.ai, and supported by the AI Education Project (aiEDU), Apple, LEGO Education, PlayLab, and SparkFun.

09/28/2026

REGISTER TODAY! An AI Day for Colorado Students and Educators

Join CEI and St. Vrain Valley Schools (SVVSD) on Saturday, October 10 for two free, hands-on events designed to make AI learning and implementation practical, engaging, and accessible.

One day, with one shared goal to design AI-ready experiences and systems that support thriving students and future-ready outcomes.

Educator Summit Information + Registration:
Spend the day exploring what AI can look like in your classrooms and learn from students along the way.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-ai-summit-educator-summit-tickets-1998494512886?aff=oddtdtcreator

Student Build-A-Thon Information + Registration:
Students ages 13+ will engage in a fast-paced day of imagining, building, testing, and sharing with AI
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-ai-summit-student-build-a-thon-tickets-1997984624797?aff=oddtdtcreator

We hope you’ll bring your students and your team to explore what’s possible with AI.

This AI day is sponsored by Cisco and MagicSchool.ai, and supported by the AI Education Project (aiEDU), Apple, LEGO Education, Playlab, and SparkFun Electronics.

09/25/2026

Colorado just reached an exciting milestone in connecting K-12, higher education, and workforce data.

Last week, the state’s new CO Data Connections (COData) system launched its first public dashboards. For the first time, Colorado can now use its own data — and not a national average — to follow graduates' paths after high school and better understand the talent pipeline and earning potential.

This is work we’re proud to support through the Homegrown Talent Coalition and the Better Data for Better Decisions Coalition and is an important investment in the state's ability to assess what the Big Three (industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning, and postsecondary credit) truly mean for a student’s future.

We're excited to see what Colorado can learn as COData continues and how it will inform decisions about how we prepare students for what comes next.

Explore the new dashboard and COData here: https://bit.ly/4rxt6s1

Colorado Succeeds Colorado Governor's Office of Information Technology

DENVER – Colorado’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) published its first Education and Workforce Pathways Dashboard, connecting high school pathway participation to what happens next in college, training, and the […]

09/22/2026

REGISTER TODAY! An AI Day for Colorado Students and Educators

Join CEI and St. Vrain Valley Schools (SVVSD) on Saturday, October 10 for two free, hands-on events designed to make AI learning and implementation practical, engaging, and accessible.

One day, with one shared goal to design AI-ready experiences and systems that support thriving students and future-ready outcomes.

Educator Summit Information + Registration:
Spend the day exploring what AI can look like in your classrooms and learn from students along the way.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-ai-summit-educator-summit-tickets-1998494512886?aff=oddtdtcreator

Student Build-A-Thon Information + Registration:
Students ages 13+ will engage in a fast-paced day of imagining, building, testing, and sharing with AI
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-ai-summit-student-build-a-thon-tickets-1997984624797?aff=oddtdtcreator

We hope you’ll bring your students and your team to explore what’s possible with AI.

This AI day is sponsored by Cisco and MagicSchool.ai, and supported by the AI Education Project (aiEDU), Apple, LEGO Education, Playlab, and SparkFun Electronics, Inc.

09/09/2026

WE’RE HIRING! There's still time to apply to CEI's open role: Director, Communications and Strategy, an opportunity to help tell the story of what's possible in public education across Colorado. We're looking for a strategic leader who understands the state's PK–12 education landscape and school and district systems and who can connect big-picture strategy to high-quality ex*****on while leading our communications team.

Follow the link to learn more and apply today! https://bit.ly/4hJoJqZ

Please share this with your networks!

09/07/2026

REGISTER TODAY! Join us on September 23 in Colorado Springs!

In partnership with the Colorado Family Engagement Collaborative (CFEC), we’re excited to invite you to the second installment of the CFEC in-person Hub focused on and family engagement across the state.

On the agenda:
- Presentation from the Colorado Department of Education and Harrison School District 2
-Training on chronic absenteeism by family and community partnership experts
- A chance to explore the CFEC Advisory Council's work
- Learn about engagement opportunities with the National Center for Families Learning, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition, Black Parent Network, and CEI

Date: Wednesday, September 23
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. MDT
Location: The Zalman Center, Harrison High School, 2755 Janitell Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Cost: Free to join

All are welcome — please share this opportunity with your networks!

Learn more + register: https://bit.ly/4zIgNg7

08/31/2026

Proud to partner with Canon City Schools Fremont RE-1 in shaping their next strategic plan and the vision for how it will continue to serve students and the broader community!

Superintendent Adam Hartman