Welcome to Innovation in the 'Burg, a podcast all about science and innovation in St. Petersburg. This week, host Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Pete Innovation District, brings two professors from St. Petersburg College and University of South Florida, St. Petersburg together to talk innovations in STEM education.
Professors Chad Mairn and Dr. David Rosengrant wax poetic on how technologies like 3D printing, virtual reality and augmented reality are helping students learn math, physics, and biology in new ways. They share thoughts on the future of STEM (hint: It's a lot like Magic School Bus!) and the most influential minds in science and technology.
The graduation of the CodeBoxx AI Literacy and Applications Bootcamp was held on Saturday, August 9th at the ARK Innovation Center. The celebration included a tour of the ARK building, a sneak peek at the Vu Studio, and a hackathon. This bootcamp is designed to give participants a competitive edge in the job market by teaching practical ways to use AI. AI literacy and tech communication are more important than ever, and we're incredibly proud of this graduating class for taking that step forward.
A joint venture by Tampa Bay Wave and USF, the 2025 cohort of the nationally recognized FinTech|X Accelerator kicked off on August 4th, supporting high-growth fintech startups through an intensive 8-week program. This year’s class includes St. Petersburg-based innovators HappiNest.AI and Congruit Inc. The program leverages USF’s world-class faculty, research, and business networks to help founders scale impactful technologies.
Our summer youth tours are in full swing, and the learning hasn’t stopped. So far, we’ve hosted students ranging from elementary school to college age, with over 60 individuals touring the Innovation District. They’ve explored the world of phytoplankton with scientists from FWC and learned the basics of flight from the team at St. Pete Air.