Purdue Offers AI and STEM Professional Development Using LEGO Education Kits

Purdue University will host a one-day professional development workshop for Indiana STEM educators serving grades 6-8 that will use the LEGO® Education Computer Science & AI kits, per Purdue's newsroom announcement. The workshop, titled "Brick by Brick: Bringing AI to the Classroom," is scheduled for July 23 at Purdue's West Lafayette campus and will be led by Purdue faculty and LEGO Education facilitators, the announcement states. Purdue's release says participation will be limited to 60 attendees and that registration is required. The Purdue release includes a quote from Purdue University's chief marketing officer and a quote from Alexander Mitchell, vice president, US, LEGO Education.

Hands-on kits such as LEGO Education Computer Science & AI are commonly used to introduce middle-school students to foundational AI and coding concepts through tangible robotics and block-based programming. For practitioners focused on K-12 curriculum design, these kits typically map low-code visual programming to computational thinking exercises and basic machine-learning concepts, enabling classroom-ready lessons without heavy infrastructure.

Industry reporting frames this collaboration as part of a broader push to expand AI and computer science exposure in K-12 settings. Educational partnerships that combine university expertise with commercial classroom kits aim to scale teacher readiness; research on STEM PD suggests single-day workshops increase short-term teacher confidence but often require follow-up support for sustained classroom integration. For districts and curriculum teams, teacher-facing PD events can serve as pilot programs to evaluate classroom-fit, resource needs, and local professional learning community development.

Observers should track registration uptake against the 60-attendee cap and whether Purdue or LEGO Education announce follow-up sessions or materials for sustained implementation. Industry watchers may also note whether the workshop materials are integrated into existing Indiana state standards or district curricula, and whether Purdue publicizes assessment data or teacher feedback from the session.