JANUARY 2025 NATIONAL NEWS

This holiday season is the perfect opportunity for students to capture their holiday dishes and join in on the culinary fun! Enter the K12 National Cook-Off today!

Open to K12-powered students in grades 6-12.

In Round 1, students will submit an original recipe that includes the below criteria, plus three photographs and supporting information.

Round 1: Virtual - Create a dish that includes all of the following:

• a source of protein
• an ingredient that starts with the letter "B"
• an ingredient that adds crunch
• an ingredient that is liquid at room temperature
• a spice or herb that is not salt or pepper

Round 2: In-Person

• Five finalists will be selected to compete in-person at the Kitchen of Purpose in Arlington, VA, on June 6, 2025, for a live cook-off battle!

Meet the K12 National Cook-Off celebrity judges!

Chef Isabell Coss

Chef Adam Hoffa

Cash prizes will be awarded to the 1st place and People’s Choice winners!

Registration is open from November 13 - February 18, 2025

Learn more and submit your recipe for Round 1 by visiting: K12 National Cook-Off - K12 Enrichment

Registration for K12 Game On is now closed. Thank you for your entries!

Students in Round 3 are working on video trailers for their educational video game idea. Trailers are due by January 13, 2025.

Public voting for K12 Game On opens January 15 - January 29, 2025. Any individual may vote up to once per day for their favorite Round 3 trailers. To cast your vote visit: Game On K12 - K12 Enrichment

Save the date for the K12 Game On Winners Reveal on February 5, 2025.

For more information please visit: Game On K12 - K12 Enrichment

Should you have any questions about registration for the K12 Robotics League, please send an email to competitions@stridelearning.com.

Students are getting ready to showcase their coding skills as they prepare for the Initial Round Qualifier! Opening for score submissions January 21 - January 28, 2025.

For more details please visit: Robotics Competition - K12 Enrichment

The K12 National Competiton Student Winners website highlights the national winners from previous K12 competitions. Watch all of the excitement and help celebrate these incredible achievements!

Visit:Competition Winners Homepage - K12 Enrichment

Check out the K12 Winter Arcade to keep your student cozy, engaged, and entertained over the break! In the winter-themed K12 Skills Arcade, students can complete fun games and activities, level up their knowledge and skills, and earn coins to keep playing in the new year and beyond.

The Winter Arcade will be available to students in the "Classes" section of their OLS/D2L, called the "Winter Quest Challenge". Login at https://login.k12.com and start playing today!

Ever wondered what interests an animal in the toy department? Dive into the world of Environmental Enrichment Devices (EEDs) with our biologist and find out how we keep our bottlenose buddies or turtley awesome pals entertained and delighted

Date/Time: January 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM ET

Click here to register!

Linden Hall Farm is a family-owned dairy farm and orchard in Hagerstown, MD, known for its rich history and dedication to sustainable farming. Join us for a virtual field trip where you'll learn how they prepare their dairy operation for winter and see a live demonstration of tree trimming in their orchard. This interactive session offers a unique glimpse into the daily life and seasonal challenges of modern farming. Don't miss this chance to explore the fascinating world of agriculture and farming!

Date/Time: January 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM ET

Click here to register!

Have you ever wondered what makes animals unique? What adaptations do they have to help them survive? Do they have big teeth or small, hooves or paws, Spots or stripes? Join us at the Toronto Zoo to get up close with our tallest residents and learn all about their amazing adaptations!

Date/Time: January 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM ET

Click here to register!

Dive into the vibrant world of Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Spain's master of light. This exciting exhibition, brought to you in partnership with the Norton Museum of Art, showcases 40 of his stunning paintings, capturing the beauty of the Mediterranean coast and the lively Spanish life. Don't miss this chance to explore the rich culture and traditions of early 20th-century Spain, all from the comfort of home!

Date/Time February 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET

Click here to register!

Want more from the K12 Virtual Field Trips? Check out the K12 Virtual Field Trips Newsletter to watch past virtual field trips, learn about upcoming virtual field trips, and sign-up for future ones!

Virtual Field Trips | Smore Newsletters or visit Virtual Field Trips - K12 Enrichment

It's time to embrace the magic of the seasons! In this build challenge, we're inviting you to capture the essence of the changing seasons, whether it's the crisp air and golden landscapes, or snow-dusted scenes and festive cheer.

Show off your Minecraft skills with a build that celebrates the beauty each season brings, and your build could win you a $25 Amazon e-gift card!

This K12 Minecraft build challenge is open from November 21, 2024 - January 16, 2025

Public Voting for Signifying Seasons starts January 17, 2025 - January 31, 2025. Any individual can vote up to once per day!

Submit you build today and cast your vote here: K12 Minecraft Challenge - Signifying Seasons

The K12 Esports League is wrapping up its Fall season as players across the country compete for the title of League Champions. Teams have battled it out all semester to showcase their skills and represent their schools at the highest level.

Think you have what it takes?

Join us for the Spring season, kicking off on January 13, 2025!

Check with your school staff to see if your school has an esports team. Please note that not all schools have esports teams, and participants must be 13 or older to join.

Games featured in the K12 Esports League:

- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 3-Player Crew Battles

- VALORANT: 5v5

- Chess: Single Player

- Rocket League: 3v3

- Fortnite: Builds/Squads (Teams of 4)

For more information, reach out to a staff member at your school and ask about the K12 Esports League.

Do you know any students who love making videos, keeping up with the latest trends, or creating unique content? If so, encourage them to apply for our next Student Advisory Council (SAC) cohort!

As part of the SAC, students will: Create engaging videos for social media, collaborate with marketing teams, participate in focus groups, enhance interpersonal skills, and write blog posts for their school.

Past SAC members have gained hands-on experience, learned valuable skills, and created content that showcases their creativity. Share this opportunity today!

Link to Apply: https://strideinc.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SK/job/Stride-Student-Advisor--Social-Media-Content-Creation-Intern_JR106297

Event: K12 National Career Exploration

Registration: Pathful - https://bit.ly/k12careerexpo

Date: Friday, Jan 31st

Time: 12-4pm ET

Target Audience: 9-12th Grade

Join us on January 31st for an interactive and inspiring event designed to help students explore real-world career opportunities. The K12 National Career Exploration Expo dives into the specific roles and training required in various career fields, giving students a clearer understanding of the paths they can take toward their dream careers.

This expo addresses a critical challenge for students: knowing how to bridge the gap between their education and the workforce. By participating, students can learn directly from industry professionals, gain insights into emerging job trends, and access resources to help them plan their next steps.

Encourage your students to attend and take the first step toward a bright future. Don’t miss this chance to turn career dreams into actionable plans!

Event: The Confident Teen Podcast - Career Exploration Series

Registration: On24- https://bit.ly/48dap31

Date: Friday, Jan 10th

Time: 3pm ET

Target Audience: 9-12th Grade

Encourage your students to discover exciting opportunities in visual arts, performing arts, and multimedia. In this first episode of a four part series, they'll:

• Explore the latest trends in audiovisual technology and communication strategies.
• Hear firsthand stories from professionals and young artists about their creative journeys.
• Gain valuable insights into turning their passions into a career.

Spark your students’ creativity and broaden their horizons—don’t let them miss this inspiring experience!

Thursday, February 20, 2024

12:00pm - 1:00pm Eastern

Join us for MagicSchool: AI Insights and Career Pathways and embark on a journey to explore the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence. Engage in interactive dialogues with the AI Literacy Bot to deepen your understanding of AI concepts. Connect with accomplished professionals from various eras through the Character Chatbot, gaining insights into their career journeys, educational backgrounds, and personal interests. Additionally, collaborate with the MagicSchool College and Career Counselor Chatbot to discover diverse career pathways and find the right path for your future.

Recommended for Grades 4+.

Share the registration link with interested students and families: https://outlook.office365.com/book/EngageEvents@k-12.com/

Help us tell the story of your great students and families! Please send this around to your staff and encourage them to put stories into Elevate, Stride/K12’s media gathering tool. Stories can be anything related to:

• Students who are athletes, scientists, students who have their own businesses, authors, etc.
• Students who use your great schools to overcome the odds – illness, bullying, etc.
• Families who are school advocates and would be great discussing what you do with the local media.
• Any cool school events – Capitol Day, field trips, etc
• Themes – anything around national days like Hispanic Hertiage Month, MLK, Mental Wellness Month (Jan.) Black History Month (Feb.) Reading Month (Mar.), and more.

There are no wrong answers so send us your stories and help us promote your students today!

Mental Health Series: School Avoidance January 8 at 2-3PM ET

Register for this upcoming session by clicking here.

We are excited to launch our SY 24-25 LC Mental Health Series in partnership with the Cook Center and ParentGuidance.org. Intended audience is all parents and faculty are welcome to attend as well.

The multievent registration page for the school year is located here:

Webinar-Mental-Health-Series-Cook-Center-Sessions.pdf (widen.net)

We are excited to announce the Learning Coach Community is now open! The Learning Coach Community is a one-stop-shop online community available to ALL K12 Learning Coaches. In the community, LC's can receive support (either as a returning or first-time LC's), access resources for students, find tips and tools for online school, and more. Ready to connect with other families learning from home?

Go to community.k12.com to get started!

We are so excited to announce we have a Stride K12 Student Engagement Instagram Channel! You can find us @k12.student

This channel is meant to share about student engagement opportunities, as well as showcase student talent and elevate student voices to feel seen and heard! This channel is for our students to follow and connect with one another, as well as see what fun things we have happening!

You can also follow us on Threads! Our Threads account is a light-hearted channel sharing positive messages, joke, and K12 national competitions and virtual field trips events. You can us find at k12.student. Follow us today!

Follow us on Facebook! The K12 Student Engagement Facebook page highlights exciting competitions, challenges, and national student winners. You can also watch live-streams of winner reveals and K12 Virtual Field Trips. You can find us at K12 Student Engagement. Follow us today!

Stride is partnering with the American Public University (APU), a higher education institution that provides affordable, high-quality, workforce-relevant, online education, to offer all K12-powered school graduates a 10% off tuition grant - bringing the cost to just $315 per credit hour for undergraduates on over 200 online degree and certificate programs.

APU delivers flexible, affordable education with monthly start dates to connect you to your future faster and provide the skills you need to go further.

• $0 cost textbooks/ebooks for undergraduate classes
• $0 application fee
• No entrance exams

Students can request more information from APU at https://apupartners.com/stride

Wondering when your course materials and hardware will arrive? Look no further! You can find your school’s shipping timeline by following these steps:

1. Visit the School Shipping Timeline Directory: Head over to the School Shipping Timeline Directory to locate your school’s specific shipping schedule.
2. Search by State: Use the directory to search by state. Find your state, and you’ll see a list of schools along with estimated delivery deadlines for course materials and hardware.
3. Track Shipping Status: If you’ve already confirmed your enrollment status, click on the link provided in the directory to track the shipping status of your materials and computer equipment.

Remember that if your school isn’t listed in the directory, allow approximately 7-10 business days after courses have been assigned for your order shipments to arrive.

If you need help with the Online School, Materials, or need to troubleshoot a technical problem, try out the new AI Assistant on help.k12.com! The AI Assistant can help you by popping relevant articles and videos to answer your questions and fix common issues.

Did you know you can text a live Customer Support agent for help with questions about Materials and replacements? Text your Student ID to 800-255-2020 Text Messages may vary. Data rates may apply. Click here if you need help looking up your Student ID