West Virginia Virtual Academy eighth grader Kianoosh Nawai of Charleston is one of 30 finalists in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the nation’s top middle school STEM research competition. His project is a low-cost, 3D-printed bionic hand inspired by his younger sister’s cochlear implant. Finalists, chosen from the Top 300, each receive $500 and will compete Oct. 23-28 in Washington, D.C., for more than $100,000 in awards.
Axios Kansas City reports full-time online enrollment in Missouri and Kansas outpaces the national rate, spotlighting K12-run schools on both sides of the metro. Missouri Virtual Academy, the state’s largest online public school, served nearly 3,900 students last year, and a Missouri Digital Academy parent says her fifth grader’s confidence has grown. Steve Richards, executive director of K12’s Missouri schools, says enrollment looks strong again and urges measuring student growth over grade-level proficiency.
In an Idaho Ed News opinion piece marking National Online Learning Day, Andrea Wells, college and career and CTE administrator at Idaho Virtual Academy and Insight School of Idaho, makes the case for online learning. She highlights flexibility, support from Idaho-certified teachers, a safe learning environment, statewide course access, and college-prep and career pathways including culinary arts, early childhood education, medical assisting and cybersecurity.
iQ Academy of California, Los Angeles held its annual in-person back-to-school event in Glendale on Sept. 11, giving online students and families a chance to connect face-to-face. This year’s event also included a 9/11 remembrance with Glendale police and student-made thank-you cards for FDNY Engine 10.