George Mason hosts the 2026 Virginia Data Science Teacher Institute

In June, more than 225 educators, higher education partners, industry experts, and students gathered at George Mason University's Science and Technology Campus in Manassas for the fifth annual Virginia Data Science Teacher Professional Learning Institute. The 2026 theme, "Data Science, Computational Thinking, and Modeling in the Age of AI," reflected growing demand for data literacy and analytical thinking across industries.

For George Mason, the event represents more than professional development. It highlights the university's role as a statewide convener while advancing its Grand Challenge Initiative solution to support 21st-century education.

A central theme throughout the institute this year was that students need strong foundations in data and computational thinking to succeed, especially as artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming nearly every profession.

Dewayne McClary, Virginia deputy superintendent for innovation, student pathways, and opportunities, said students must understand the concepts behind emerging technologies. "They need data literacy. They need skepticism. They need discourse. They need to understand how a model works," McClary said.

Since the Virginia Board of Education approved a high school data science course in 2022, data science courses have expanded to more than 130 Virginia schools and reached more than 4,000 students.

For conference co-chair Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, the George Mason professor of mathematical sciences who helped develop Virginia's data science curriculum, the institute's success reflects years of collaboration among educators, school divisions, state agencies, universities, and industry partners. "What started as a vision has become a thriving statewide movement."

"The institute's rapid growth underscores Virginia's emergence as a national leader in preparing students to navigate a data-rich world," said keynote speaker Kate Maxlow, senior advisor to the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The institute offered more than 40 sessions and 10 keynote speakers, as well as the opportunity to earn continuing education credits through George Mason.

Keynote speakers and featured leaders included Jenna Conway, Virginia superintendent of public instruction; Conrad Wolfram, co-founder of Wolfram Mathematica; Ben Galuzzo, executive director of COMAP; Eli Luberoff, founder and CEO of DESMOS; Ji Yun Son, co-founder of CourseKata; and Amarda Shehu, George Mason's vice president and chief AI officer. Their expertise in mathematics education, computational thinking, curriculum innovation, and educational technology provided participants with direct access to leaders currently shaping how students learn and reason with data in an AI-driven world.

This year's institute was cosponsored by the Ambassadors of Teaching in the Age of AI (ATAA) program, co-led by Peng Warweg, research program director in George Mason's College of Engineering and Computing, and aligns with the mission of George Mason's Data Science, Computing, and Applications Lab School partnership.

"Every teacher who leaves this institute takes new ideas, tools, and opportunities back to hundreds of students," Seshaiyer said. "When educators, state leaders, higher education, and industry work together, we can build pathways that help every student see themselves as problem-solvers, innovators, and future leaders."