Intermediate Unit 1

10/16/2026

What an awesome day at PennWest California!

We had more than 50 students from around the region put their mental math skills to the test in our annual 24 Math Tournament. Watching these kids race through puzzle cards at lightning speed was INCREDIBLE.

Out of a competitive field, 8 advanced to the semifinals, and then the top 4 students went head-to-head in front of the crowd for the final title.

Congratulations and a huge round of applause for our Grand Champion: Willow!

Shoutout to every student who competed; you all brought your A-game! Thank you to the incredible teachers and administrators who cheered them on and helped bring them together. We couldn’t host this event without you.

10/16/2026

The IU1 Love Math Challenge is gaining momentum, with students already solving 208,884 math problems across participating schools!

There’s still plenty of time for your students to join the excitement, strengthen their math skills, build confidence, and move your school up the leaderboard. Math prizes await the top three schools, so encourage your teachers to get students playing First In Math today—every problem counts, and your school could be our next leaderboard standout! 🧮 💥

10/16/2026

LAST CALL! Don’t miss the celebration of the decade!

Join us this Tuesday, October 20 (10 AM – 1 PM) at the PA Trolley Museum for Celebrating a Decade of Impact: The 10th Anniversary Innovation Showcase!

Experience 10 years of inspiring K-12 student inventions, hands-on STEM demos, interactive activities, complimentary trolley rides, prize giveaways, and light refreshments!

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Museum (1 Museum Rd, Washington, PA)
Tuesday, Oct 20 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
RSVP TODAY!: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-a-decade-of-impact-the-10th-anniversary-innovation-grants-tickets-1998438520411?aff=oddtdtcreator

Made possible by Intermediate Unit 1, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and the EQT Corporation Foundation.

Celebrate 10 years of empowering rural classrooms! Join us as we showcase a decade of student innovation and regional impact.

10/15/2026

Episode 24 of Beyond the Classroom is live! 🎙️☕

How do we empower students to become curious, critical, and engaged citizens? We sat down with Tanisha Bezue, Senior Program Director at the Committee of Seventy, during the PA Civics Educator Forum for a insightful "Coffee With Colleagues" conversation.

Drawing on her 13 years as a middle school social studies teacher, Tanisha shares how C70 is bringing nonpartisan civic tools, Act 48 resources, and statewide coalition support right to Southwestern Pennsylvania classrooms.

Listen now https://tinyurl.com/yp9yumm2 and check out nonpartisan civics tools at seventy.org and pacivics.org. 🎧

10/14/2026

Kickstarting the new year with student voices!

Yesterday, Central Office hosted our first Student Forum gathering, bringing together student leaders from 14 school districts across Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties. A huge thank you to our guest speaker, Lou Karas from West Liberty University, for guiding our students through an insightful "Data Selfie" activity to kick off the session. Excited for a great year of collaboration and growth ahead!

10/09/2026

Today, IU1 Central Office was proud to host the official rollout event for the redesigned Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards Aligned System (SAS) website!

As a critical resource supporting Local Education Agencies (LEAs) statewide, the SAS platform serves as Pennsylvania's central repository for academic standards, curriculum maps, assessment tools, and instructional resources. This comprehensive redesign—the first in nearly seven years—delivers a modern, intuitive user interface alongside major upgrades to the SAS PD Center, including mobile usability and improved tracking.

Intermediate Unit 1 is proud to support PDE in bringing these modernized tools to our regional educators to strengthen instructional practice and elevate student success.

🔗 Visit the updated portal: www.pdesas.org

10/09/2026

Happy Friday from the IU1 Love Math Challenge! ➗ ❤️

We’re just 9 days into the Intermediate Unit One Love Math Challenge, and students are already making incredible progress, solving thousands of math problems across our region!

A special thank you to Senator Pat Stefano, our Honorary Chair, for helping us celebrate the mathematical achievements of students throughout Fayette, Greene, and Washington counties.

Here are this week’s Friday Top Ten schools!

🥇 1. Hutchinson Elementary — 30,006 problems solved
🥈 2. Marshall Elementary — 20,874 problems solved
🥉 3. Fort Cherry Elementary — 15,720 problems solved
4️⃣ North Strabane Intermediate — 14,553
5️⃣ Laurel Highlands Middle — 6,600
6️⃣ Jefferson Morgan Elementary — 4,227
7️⃣ Frazier Elementary — 3,669
8️⃣ Hatfield Elementary — 3,405
9️⃣ Bullskin Elementary — 3,000
🔟 Peters Township Middle School — 2,493

Together, these ten schools have solved an amazing 104,547 math problems!

Hutchinson Elementary has officially passed the 30,000-problem mark, while Marshall Elementary has surpassed 20,000! Meanwhile, Fort Cherry Elementary and North Strabane Intermediate are separated by just 1,167 problems. The competition is heating up!

But the best part? Every problem represents a student thinking critically, practicing new skills, and building mathematical confidence. Whether your school is leading the leaderboard or just getting started, every problem counts! ❤️

Share these rankings with your students and teachers! Celebrate their hard work, encourage them to keep solving, and remind them that there’s still plenty of time to climb the leaderboard.

The IU1 Love Math Challenge runs through October 31!

A huge thank-you to our teachers, principals, families, and students for making mathematics something worth celebrating. Let’s keep those numbers growing! ➕ 🎉

10/05/2026

That’s a wrap on the 2026 PA Civics Educator Forum held here at Intermediate Unit 1!

Today brought together in-classroom and out-of-school educators from across Pennsylvania around this year’s theme: “Cultivating Curious Minds, Critical Thinkers, and Engaged Citizens.”

From breakout sessions led by coalition partners to practical tools on media literacy, civil dialogue, and active citizenship, teachers leave today with ready-to-use civic education resources (and Act 48 credits!) to empower students in classrooms across PA tomorrow.

Huge thank you to PA Civics, Committee of Seventy, and all 27+ member organizations, and the dedicated educators who made today a success!

Swipe through to see highlights from the sessions! 🏛️📚✨

10/05/2026

10 years. Infinite impact.

Join us for Celebrating a Decade of Impact: The 10th Anniversary Innovation Grants Showcase! Discover revolutionary projects, network with visionaries, and celebrate a decade of progress.

📍 Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (Washington, PA)
🗓️ Tuesday, Oct 20 | 10 AM - 1 PM
🎟️ Reserve your spot:

Celebrate 10 years of empowering rural classrooms! Join us as we showcase a decade of student innovation and regional impact.

10/05/2026

🚀 Empower Innovation in Your Classroom! 💡

Registration is officially OPEN for our IU1 Innovation Grants! These grants are designed to support local educators and school teams in bringing creative, forward-thinking projects, programs, and curriculum ideas to life.

Whether you’re looking to introduce new classroom technology, launch a hands-on project, or pilot an innovative teaching approach, this grant opportunity is here to help fund your vision.

👉 How to apply: Head over to our IU1 Curriculum Coordinators Council page to learn more and submit your application:

Innovation Grants - RFP Now Open!