Public Sector, Education & Research

Public TV Spotlights Charter School's Data-Driven K-8 Model

Ham Lake, Minnesota – September 17, 2026 -- DaVinci Academy of Arts and Science, a tuition-free K-8 charter school, will be featured in an upcoming Public Television segment of "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia," examining how data-driven instruction and integrated arts-science curricula close achievement gaps in primary education.

Broadcast to film on-site at Ham Lake campus, targeting achievement gaps

The segment will be shot at the academy's Ham Lake, Minnesota campus and will document how charter governance structures allow educators to implement targeted academic strategies. Producers will examine how blending arts and sciences into core curricula addresses conventional learning hurdles across all grade levels.

SF International School Completes 177,000 Sq Ft Campus Overhaul

San Francisco – September 17, 2026 -- The International School of San Francisco has completed a full renovation of its 177,000-square-foot Hayes Valley campus, marking the project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 9. The 64-year-old institution, the largest secular independent school in the city, converted a former Caltrans structure built in 1948 into a modernized educational facility spanning an entire city block.

Over 300 windows replaced to boost energy efficiency and natural light

The renovation included the replacement of more than 300 windows, installation of a modernized HVAC system, and redesigned lower and middle school classrooms. Faculty and staff workspaces were also reconfigured as part of the overhaul.

CPSC Names Paul Brubaker Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer

Washington, D.C. – September 17, 2026 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has appointed Paul Brubaker as its new Executive Director, installing him as the agency's chief operating officer over programmatic, operational, and administrative functions.

Brubaker takes charge of CPSC's regulatory portfolio and hazard-response operations

Brubaker will manage CPSC's regulatory portfolio and help direct efforts to identify and address consumer product hazards. He brings nearly four decades of public and private sector leadership in technology, cybersecurity, data analytics, organizational strategy, and federal management.

USFCR Named Federal Contracting Services of the Year 2026

Clearwater, Fla. – September 17, 2026 -- US Federal Contractor Registration (USFCR) has been named Federal Contracting Services of the Year 2026 by the Editorial Board of Gov Business Review, a recognition dated August 2026 that credits the firm's model for preparing businesses to compete in the federal marketplace.

Gov Business Review ties the award to a structured index of contractor performance

The publication determined the recognition through its Government Business Performance and Value Index, combined with independent editorial research, subscriber nominations and industry input. Evaluation criteria included government use-case alignment, execution in regulated contracting environments, measurable public sector impact and institutional confidence.

Agilix's BusyBee AI Hits 6 Million K-12 Grading Tasks on AWS

Orem, Utah – September 17, 2026 -- Agilix Labs said its BusyBee AI assistant has now graded 6 million K-12 student submissions, returning roughly 150,000 hours of grading time to teachers, with monthly volume already running near 1 million submissions and a seventh million expected within weeks.

Written feedback rates nearly triple when BusyBee assists grading

Across more than 2.5 million submissions processed on the Buzz platform over the past two weeks, only 29% of assignments graded without BusyBee received a written comment from teachers. Of those graded with BusyBee's assistance, 84% received one. Agilix framed the gap as evidence that teachers already want to give feedback on every submission but lack the time to do so manually.

Franklin Pierce University Partners with Uwill for Grad Student Mental Health

Natick, Mass. – September 17, 2026 -- Franklin Pierce University has partnered with Uwill to expand mental health and wellness support for its graduate students, granting them unlimited access to licensed counselors through Uwill's teletherapy matching platform.

Nearly 40% of graduate students report anxiety or depression symptoms, six times the general population rate

The partnership responds to survey data showing 90% of adults believe the U.S. faces a mental health crisis, with graduate students facing disproportionately high rates of psychological distress tied to academic, career and family pressures.

SWEAR Launches Video Authentication Program for Cities, Police Agencies

Boise, Idaho – September 16, 2026 -- SWEAR, a digital content authenticity firm, has launched the Community Video Integrity Project, a program that lets municipalities and law enforcement agencies cryptographically verify surveillance footage from the moment it is recorded.

53% of Americans cannot reliably distinguish AI-generated video from authentic footage, Pew Research found in 2025

That erosion of trust is pushing public agencies to move beyond simply presenting video evidence toward proving its authenticity, particularly for investigations, courtroom use, and public accountability.

Morgan State Partners With Google Public Sector on AI Research Campus

Baltimore – September 16, 2026 -- Morgan State University has secured high-performance GPU compute resources through a new collaboration with Google Public Sector, aiming to reach Carnegie R1 research classification and establish a national blueprint for HBCU digital transformation.

Google's Program for Accelerated Research grants Morgan State advanced GPU infrastructure

The partnership, formed through Google Public Sector's Program for Accelerated Research (GPAR), gives Morgan State faculty and students access to high-performance computing for work in AI, cybersecurity, climate science and health sciences. The university is targeting Carnegie R1 status, the top classification for "very high research activity," which would unlock additional federal funding and attract research talent.

Study: Prosperity Seen as Collective, Not Individual Wealth

Portland, Ore. – September 16, 2026 -- Material wealth was cited in fewer than 10 percent of conversations about prosperity in five of six countries surveyed, according to a new report from Prosper Global, formerly Mercy Corps.

Research spans 1,100 people across six conflict- and climate-affected nations

The report, titled "What It Means to Prosper," draws on 396 individual and group conversations with more than 1,100 people in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Indonesia, Kenya, Syria, and Ukraine. Rather than impose a definition, researchers asked participants to describe prosperity and its barriers in their own words.

Claroty Public Sector Achieves CJIS Compliance With Fortreum

Arlington, Va. – September 16, 2026 -- Claroty Public Sector LLC's xDome for Government platform has achieved compliance with the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy, the company announced in partnership with cybersecurity advisory firm Fortreum.

Compliance targets protection of criminal justice data confidentiality and integrity

The CJIS certification confirms Claroty's cyber-physical systems (CPS) platform meets the FBI's security requirements for handling sensitive criminal justice information. Law enforcement and public safety agencies face mounting pressure to secure a growing base of connected and legacy infrastructure, including weapons platforms, building management systems, operational technology, and IoT devices, while limiting third-party and vendor risk.