On Mar. 20, Bethpage High School had the honor of hosting the March meeting of NASTECH (Nassau Association of School Technologists), a consortium that provides school technology leaders and staff with resources, professional development opportunities, and a platform to collaborate on common challenges. NASTECH meets monthly, rotating among different districts, allowing each host to showcase their advancements in educational technology.
As part of their hosting duties, Bethpage High School highlighted its cutting-edge learning environments and shared its vision for future educational spaces. The meeting kicked off with lunch, followed by presentations and a student panel featuring four senior ambassadors: Sarah Oh, Daniella Palmeri, Rylee Petruskie, and Aaryan Rupesh. These students had a unique connection to NASTECH, having participated in a site visit six years ago as fifth graders at Kramer Lane Elementary School. During the panel, they reflected on their academic journeys, shared insights on topics such as artificial intelligence, social media, and cell phone policies, and engaged in a Q&A session with attendees.
Following the panel, the student ambassadors led NASTECH members on a guided tour of Bethpage’s newest innovative spaces. The tour included visits to the STEM lab and engineering room, the business hub, the athletic barn, and an esports classroom, where attendees observed a live practice session.
In addition to showcasing current spaces, Mr. Andrew Choi, Bethpage’s Director of Technology, provided a preview of its plans for the 2025-2026 school year. Upcoming projects include the development of an assembly classroom designed for Model UN, international relations courses, debate and public speaking, and mock trial. Another planned space is a specialized medical classroom, which will support subjects such as Biology, Careers in Medicine & Health Sciences, Forensics, Health, and Living Environment. This space will feature an examination area and an Anatomage table, an advanced tool for anatomy education.
Bethpage UFSD takes a strategic approach to developing its learning spaces by surveying student interests and analyzing exit surveys from graduating classes. The district continuously evaluates existing spaces to determine their effectiveness in supporting elective courses and conducts site visits to other schools to learn from their innovations.
The NASTECH meeting at Bethpage High School proved to be both informative and inspiring, offering educators fresh ideas for integrating technology and innovation into their own districts. It was also a moment of pride for Bethpage, as the district demonstrated its commitment to fostering cutting-edge educational opportunities for its students.
