Allentown, PA — The Allentown School District is excited to announce it has been selected to participate in the Pioneering Artificial Intelligence in School Systems (PASS) initiative, a highly competitive, Google.org-funded professional learning cohort led by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. The program will launch in February 2026 and will be provided at no cost to the District.
The Allentown School District is one of only two school districts in Pennsylvania chosen for this cohort, positioning the District as a regional leader in the ethical, responsible, and system-level integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in public education.
PASS is designed to support district administrators, school leaders, and educators in thoughtfully integrating AI into classrooms while building staff AI literacy with a focus on data privacy, bias mitigation, and ethical decision-making. Originally piloted with the School District of Philadelphia in spring 2025, the program expanded following a $1 million philanthropic investment from Google.org to support a limited number of school systems in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
The initiative uses a three-tier professional learning model:
- District Leaders: Developing policy, shaping strategic vision, and guiding system-wide planning.
- School Leaders: Building school-wide capacity and supporting teacher development.
- Educators: Engaging in classroom-based learning, applying new practices, and sharing resources.
“We are honored to have been selected for this initiative as we advance our Strategic Plan, Lighting the Way: A Blueprint for Innovation and Excellence 2030,” said Dr. Carol D. Birks, Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of the Allentown School District. “Through this partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s PASS initiative, we will strengthen the capacity of educators, school leaders, and Central Office teams to integrate emerging technologies with purpose and integrity, always in service of student success. Just as importantly, we will deepen our collective AI literacy, reinforce rigorous safeguards for student data privacy, sharpen how we use evidence to personalize learning, inform transparent decision-making, and ensure that every student is positioned for success.”
The Allentown School District’s participation in PASS underscores its ongoing commitment to forward-thinking leadership, innovation, and preparing students to succeed in a rapidly evolving world.
###