Four alternatives to the numeric stats bar. Each sits in the frosted glass bridge between hero and first content section. Hover and click to feel the interactions.
Three current questions the community is grappling with. Signals intellectual honesty and inquiry — the most distinctive option. No other .edu site does this.
Questions we're sitting with
How should we assess student work made with AI?
What does AI literacy look like in elementary school?
Can AI tutoring close gaps without widening dependency?
One signal from each pillar — Practice, Innovation, Research. Proves the site is alive and active. Could be dynamic or manually updated.
This week at the Foundry
Practice
New workshop posted: Designing Assignments in an AI World
Innovation
3 new hackathon projects submitted this week
Research
Xu Lab published new findings on AI reading companions
Rotating quotes from community members. Auto-advances every 5 seconds with clickable dots. Human and warm — testimonial energy without feeling corporate.
“I came for the tools. I stayed for the conversations.”
— M.Ed. student, '25
“Finally, a place where asking 'I don't know' about AI is the starting point, not the problem.”
— Faculty researcher
“The hackathon changed how I think about what students can build.”
— District administrator, BPS
Ask visitors what they're here for. Three clickable paths that route into the site. Most functional — reduces bounce and maps to Practice/Innovation/Research.