The Albany City School District will participate in a new partnership with GE Aerospace and the University at Albany to create engineering pathway opportunities that begin in middle school and extend through high school, district leaders said.

District leadership told the board that GE Aerospace Foundation and the University at Albany announced an investment that will engage engineers and university faculty with five area high schools selected for the pilot: Albany, Schenectady, Boston Spa, Troy and Cohoes. The initiative will begin with exploratory engineering opportunities for middle school students and evolve into University at Albany-endorsed high school courses that could lead to automatic admission pathways and eventual employment pipelines into GE sectors, the district said.

Superintendent Hockrider (identified in the meeting) said the partnership may expand to include elementary STEM schools and that district staff and University of Albany teams are discussing classroom AI and robotics integrations. The district also noted that one University of Albany robotics professor who presented at a leadership meeting began his career in the Albany City School District, underscoring the pipeline goal.

Board members welcomed the partnership and several said they hoped it would produce sustained pathways to local employment.

The announcement came during the superintendent's report and district partnership updates and will be followed by further details as the programs are launched and course approvals are pursued.