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IBM prepares educators for a quantum-ready future

IBM Quantum — a leader in open-access quantum education — continues its years-long tradition of offering free and accessible content and tools to students, researchers, and educators. The IBM Quantum Educator Summit is back for its second year, with an expanded array of professional development sessions aimed at teachers and professors. The summit will take place virtually on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.

IBM prepares educators for a quantum-ready future

20 Jun 2022

Liz Durst

Olivia Lanes

Brian Ingmanson

Register for the virtual IBM Quantum Educator Summit, today.

The Educator Summit will introduce educators to the learning tools and resources offered by IBM Quantum, and guide them on getting set-up to use these tools and resources with their students. The summit will also include networking sessions and panel discussions, and will highlight educators who will share their experiences in teaching quantum computing and providing their students with access to quantum devices.

Creating a suite of educational initiatives has been central to IBM Quantum’s goals since we first provided open-access to real quantum devices in 2016. These initiatives serve to create a diverse and inclusive workforce, opening the field from what was previously a narrow community of academics, teaching primarily at the graduate level at select universities. Today, any teacher, professor, student, or curious mind can learn about quantum computing through educational materials developed by IBM Quantum, and then run quantum algorithms and protocols on our devices — all for free.

Through our digital learning channels, including the Qiskit Textbook, Qiskit YouTube, and the Qiskit Medium, and in partnership with organizations including The Coding School, the IBM Quantum HBCU Center, and the educators behind approximately 340 courses being taught in institutions in over 120 countries, we have educated over 3 million people on quantum computing.

This year alone, the IBM Quantum Internship Program will offer intensive training to 135 interns. These initiatives amount to an investment of over $100M in the last five years supporting open quantum computing education. It is our aim to work with others to replicate such programs across the emerging quantum industry.

What to expect at the summit

No prior experience with Qiskit is required to participate in the summit: introductory sessions will enable educators to bring Qiskit into their classrooms and courses, providing their students with hands-on experience with real quantum computers. Participants will also learn about new educational resources being developed by IBM Quantum, hear from other educators who have brought Qiskit into their curricula, and have an opportunity to interact with one another, ask questions, and share their experiences.

IBM Quantum is thrilled to welcome Dr. John Watrous, previously a faculty member and Interim Executive Director of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, to lead the next stage of IBM Quantum’s educational program. Attendees at the summit will learn about the new resources currently under development by Dr. Watrous and the rest of the digital education team at IBM Quantum, including new Qiskit Textbook content and video lectures, all integrated with IBM hardware and supported by the new Qiskit Learning Platform, which will allow educators to customize educational content based on the needs of their students.

We’re also excited to welcome Dr. Thomas Wong, Assistant Professor at Creighton University and the Quantum Liaison for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as this year’s keynote speaker. Dr. Wong, the author of Introduction to Classical and Quantum Computing, will set the tone for this collaborative event. The Summit will also feature in-depth experience sessions from practicing educators, including Dr. Tzu-Chieh Wei of Stony Brook University, Dr. Marina Radulaski of UC Davis, Dr. Richard Ross and Dr. Jens Palsberg of UCLA, Dr. Brian La Cour of UT-Austin, and more to be announced soon.

No prior experience with Qiskit is required to participate in the summit.

IBM Quantum is also pleased to collaborate with The Coding School on the summit, which will feature their Qubit x Qubit course leaders, program designers, and graduates of their courses. The Coding School is also working alongside IBM to shape the Educator Summit structure and help ensure this is a conversation that continues even after the Summit ends. Having the expertise of The Coding School both on stage and behind the scenes means participants can expect to pick up dozens of tips and tricks for their own courses.

In 2021, IBM Quantum and The Coding School collaborated on a year-long Introduction to Quantum Computing for over 10,000 high school students and above.

As always, IBM Quantum is committed to celebrating the diversity of our field and enabling people from all backgrounds and walks of life to excel in quantum computing. We welcome the participation of — and hope to cater our events — to all members of the global quantum community.

IBM Quantum continues its commitment to education — working with university, ecosystem network, and industry partners; collaborating in local, national, and international initiatives across the globe; and creating resources and training opportunities available to all. The IBM Quantum Educator Summit aims to empower educators with the knowledge and skill to build the strong foundation needed to launch careers in quantum, and to educate and train the quantum workers and leaders of tomorrow.

Register for the virtual Educator Summit.


Quantum starts here