Morning Workshops: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Option 1: AI Workshop
Facilitator: Professor Alfred Nehme, Computer Science at Bellevue College, & Denise Thompson, CTE STEM and CS teacher at Orting High School
Alfred Nehme
My Name is Alfred Nehme and I am a senior associate professor of computer science at Bellevue College. I joined Bellevue College in September 2018. Before that, I worked for 20 years in the industry at DELL EMC, CambridgeSoft, and Amazon (AWS). I did my undergraduate studies at the Ohio State University and graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, majoring in Computer Science. I am a native of Lebanon and emigrated to the US in 1988 after finishing high school. I speak three languages: Arabic, English, and French.
Denise Thompson
Denise’s career began as an algebra and physical science teacher in 2003. In 2012, Denise served as an Albert Einstein STEM Educator Fellow in a senatorial congressional office. During her time as a fellow, Denise facilitated the Senate STEM Education and Workforce caucus during which she had a unique opportunity to discuss issues and barriers related to meeting the US STEM workforce needs. This inspired her to return to her small suburban district and advocate for adding computer science and STEM classes to the OHS course offerings. Starting with a grant, an online MOOC Coursera java course, and an introductory computer science and aerospace course, she has built both the STEM and computer science CTE pathways at Orting High School feeding students into Pierce County Skills Center programs and UW in the High School computer science courses. Denise is now looking at a transition into administration focusing on her strengths in instructional leadership, curriculum design and responsible technology integration.
Learn more about Denise
Workshop Overview:
This workshop bridges the gap between traditional algorithmic programming and how modern AI systems learn patterns directly from data. Educators will shift from passive users to informed builders, engaging with machine learning demonstrations, data-driven reasoning frameworks, and responsible classroom applications. Suitable for any teacher in any content area, decision trees not only model how AI “learns” but also make excellent problem-solving and classification tasks for any age group. Bring a laptop and join us to explore how decision trees can enhance formative assessment of content in addition to modeling machine learning using both unplugged and digital activities.
Key Outcomes: Attendees will be able to:
- Key Outcomes: Attendees will be able to:
- Identify the differences between traditional programming solutions and machine learning
- Describe how decision trees are constructed, tested, and improved through machine learning
- Evaluate training data and model predictions for accuracy and bias
Option 2: Cybersecurity Workshop
Facilitator: Professor Evan Drake, Department Chair of Cybersecurity at Bellevue College
Participants should bring a laptop to get the most value out of this workshop.
Evan Drake
Evan Drake is a Senior Associate Professor and Department Chair of Cybersecurity at Bellevue College. He teaches cybersecurity courses spanning 100- to 400-level topics, from introductory information security to advanced Linux tools for security.
Evan partners with regional K–12 teachers and CTE administrators to expand computing technology pathways and promote cybersecurity literacy. His work emphasizes hands-on, accessible learning, with current projects focused on practical labs using Linux and Docker.
Workshop Overview:
How do we prepare students—many of whom have grown up with technology in hand—for a digital world where cyber threats are constantly evolving? This interactive, 90-minute workshop gives K–12 educators a guided roadmap to introduce essential cybersecurity concepts into the classroom. Designed specifically for elementary and middle school audiences (though resources for high school will also be discussed), this session requires no prior formal cybersecurity technical background. Together, we will address online safety, demystify digital privacy, explore how to spot social engineering, and look at how students (and teachers) can operate with security awareness. Whether you want to integrate quick 10-minute warm-ups or full-scale lessons, you will leave the workshop with relevant information and a curated toolkit of resources to support your instruction.
Outcomes:
- Boost personal cybersecurity confidence.
- Deconstruct technical concepts for younger learners.
- Identify cyber threats that impact children.
- Equip students to question what they see online.
- Evaluate resources and curriculum potentially suitable for your lessons or classes.
Afternoon Workshops: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Option 1:IT Workshop [60 minutes]
Facilitator: Professor Thomas Lee, Department Chair of Information Technology at Bellevue College
Thomas Lee:
Tom Lee is one of the Tenured Faculty within the IT and Cybersecurity Programs at Bellevue College. He is also the Program Chair of the IT Program. He is alumnus of the IT Program and he received his BS in Technology from Eastern Washington University (EWU) while stationed near Bellevue College (EWU@BC). He’s described as a thrifty IT Instructor who is always looking for the best deal for the most meaningful outcome.
Tom is certified and/or trained in several areas of CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, Palo Alto, Amazon, Azure, EMC, VMware and others as either a technician or a Technical Trainer. He is a practitioner of his crafts as he is an Architect with a large enterprise and a consultant/contractor with several Local, State, National, Tribal and/or International Agencies/Partners/Ministries. At this time, he has over 25 years of direct IT experience, and growing.
In his “not so much spare time” Tom goes back to his polymath roots. You can sometimes find him in rural environments making things a little better. He has been blowing glass for the last 30 years and he enjoys rebuilding neglected chainsaws from the early 1900’s. He currently sits on several boards as a community advisor of Technology. At this time, he advises over 10 Educational, Tribal and community groups.
Workshop Overview:
From knowing to seeing, we’re covering everything you need to introduce an applied wireless implementation for your coursework. We’ll be covering things to know and things to do. And the price is right – Free!
You’ll see wireless through free heatmap software. You’ll note the evolution of all wireless systems. And you’ll leave with over 5 free wireless platforms you and your students can use in the classroom.
Session objectives:
- Analyze available wireless systems for future development and configuration
- Discuss wireless history – who and when did what.
- Define different wireless systems across the wireless spectrum.
- Perform a wireless heatmap of systems present in our current environment.
Option 2: Robotics with CS Workshop [60 minutes]
Facilitator: Professor Frank Lee, Department Chair of Engineering at Bellevue College
Frank Lee
Frank Lee – Engineering Sciences faculty and program chair at Bellevue College. Mechanical Engineering background with interest in structures, dynamics, and energy.
Workshop Overview
This workshop is intended as a “Beginners Guide to Robotics”. No experience necessary; robotics concepts will be presented and will include hands-on participation and group interaction. Session objectives are for participants to sample robotics-related activities and to explore how robotics may fit with their teaching subject matter.
Last Updated June 3, 2026