Education

Bellevue – October 29, 2026 -- Families in Bellevue, Washington, can now apply for kindergarten through Grade 4 at a new BASIS Independent Lower School campus that opens in Fall 2027 for the 2027–28 school year.

The Lower School sits directly across from the current campus

The new campus is at 15760 NE 4th Street, across the street from BASIS Independent Bellevue's existing school. Once it opens, the current campus becomes the Upper School for Grades 5–12.

A renovated two-story building holds 16 classrooms

The renovated building covers approximately 30,000 square feet on 1.5 acres. Inside, it will have 16 classrooms, a dining hall and an exercise room. Dedicated spaces are planned for music, performing arts, visual arts and engineering.

Outside, students get a playground and a covered play area.

Mainz – October 29, 2026 -- Visitors to the free SILBERSALZ Science & Media Festival in Halle (Saale) can attend talks, workshops, film screenings and a kids' science show from ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandfunk between October 28 and November 1, 2026. The ninth edition runs under the motto "Ich, verbesserlich?" (roughly, "Me, improvable?") and focuses on health. It is one of the largest free science and media festivals, with more than 45,000 visitors.

ZDF editor Prof. Peter Arens says the festival gives the broadcaster a chance to reach a young audience and talk about health, science and society.

LAKE BUENA VISTA – October 28, 2026 -- K-12 teachers can enter the 2027 Teachers Sweepstakes through Jan. 17, 2027, for a chance to join 15 winners at Walt Disney World Resort from April 29 to May 2, 2027, ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week.

Winners get a four-day, three-night stay

Disney Imagination Campus is running the sweepstakes with The Muppets, who will join the celebration. Winners are chosen at random. Their prize includes a four-day, three-night stay at the resort, and they can bring traveling companions.

Teachers step into the student role at Disney Imagination Campus

Winners will take part in workshops that blend imagination with real-world application. The workshops offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney approaches learning and creativity. Teachers will also meet educators from across the country to exchange ideas.

IRVINE, Calif. – October 28, 2026 -- Applications are open for the 12th annual Live Más Scholarship, with more than $13 million available for Taco Bell fans and Team Members ages 16 to 26. Individual awards are $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000, and the application deadline is January 5, 2027.

Applicants skip the GPA and test scores

The Taco Bell Foundation requires no GPA, test scores or résumés. Applicants submit either a two-minute video or a 250–500-word essay describing the passion they are pursuing, where they hope it takes them, and the difference they want to make. Recipients will be announced in Spring 2027.

Berthoud – October 23, 2026 -- Aerospace company Ursa Major put its Summer 2026 interns on hypersonic engine testing, manufacturing and event planning, and internships for 2027 will open later this year.

Interns worked across the company's Berthoud, Youngstown and Washington, D.C. locations alongside experienced professionals.

A physics graduate turned an internship into a full-time job

Trey Lustenberger joined as a Configuration Intern after earning a physics bachelor's degree at the University of Colorado Boulder. He now works as a Configuration Engineer. His favorite project was the drawing for the Draper Block 1 As-Tested Tooling Kit. “It excites me knowing I had the opportunity to work on a product that could potentially see the testbed and fly,” he said.

New York City – October 22, 2026 -- Older adults in the U.S. can take free live tech classes on Zoom every week through Senior Planet, the flagship program of OATS from AARP. They can also visit one of four physical centers or a licensed partner site.

Free Zoom classes cover stretching, banking and telemedicine

SeniorPlanet.org lists a range of virtual classes each week, taught live by Senior Planet expert trainers. Topics include morning stretch and meditation sessions, online banking, telemedicine, and demos of new and emerging technology. Discussion groups are also on the schedule, built to encourage conversation and lasting friendships.

United States – October 19, 2026 -- Parents and school administrators are being urged to take three steps against social media-related school violence threats after a so-called "National Day of School Violence" spread online this week.

The threats reportedly started on TikTok, though that has not been definitively established. Posts about them spread quickly, worrying families across the country and forcing some schools to close for the day. The Organization for Social Media Safety says it worked through the week to make sure schools were aware and took precautions. The day passed without incident.

Rochester, N.Y. – October 19, 2026 -- Families comparing schools in the Rochester area have a new data point: The Harley School has been named the #1 Best Private High School and the #1 Best Private K-12 School in both Monroe County and the Rochester area on Niche's 2027 Best Schools list.

Harley's STEM programs rank #2 on Niche's list

Niche also ranked Harley #2 for Best High School STEM Programs. According to the school, that is the highest ranking for any private school in the area.

Niche builds rankings from report cards and real reviews

Niche is an online platform for searching for schools and colleges. It publishes its rankings annually, drawing on a comprehensive K-12 report card along with real reviews, user data and surveys. Families use the database to find the right school for their children.

Ypsilanti – October 19, 2026 -- Eastern Michigan University is offering eligible students a $4,000 scholarship to join its Marching Band, and students do not need to major in music to qualify.

The scholarship pays $1,000 a year for four years

The award is open to all students who meet the marching band requirements, whatever their academic major. Only about 40% of band members are music majors. Students from disciplines across the university make up the rest.

J. Nick Smith, associate director of bands and director of Athletic Bands, said the scholarship helps attract more students and rewards them for the countless hours they put into the activity. EMU President Brendan Kelly, a two-time alum, said the college experience is about "finding and building community."

Atlanta – October 19, 2026 -- Students across the United States can apply for $3,000 scholarships to fund technical education and training, with an application deadline of Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Schneider Electric and SKILLED Nation, an organization that expands access to training for high-demand skilled careers, are adding $100,000 in scholarships to the Schneider Electric SKILLED Scholarship Program.

Scholarships cover training for building and energy careers

The program is now in its fourth year. Schneider Electric has put more than $300,000 into it so far. The money helps pay for postsecondary education and training in building automation, energy management, HVAC, electrical systems, facilities engineering and maintenance, green building and sustainability, security and related technical fields.