A quantum education curriculum will be piloted in Hamilton County Schools starting in fall 2026. TN QuantumWorks, the quantum technology and career awareness initiative that will be implemented in classrooms from kindergarten through high school, was announced Thursday at a press conference at EPB headquarters. The initiative was developed by wife and husband Sheila Boyington and Dane Boyington of Thinking Media, an education technology company based in Chattanooga. "They'll learn what quantum computing is, why it's important, how it'll change industries and how they can become part of an emerging workforce," Sheila Boyington said. Chattanooga has a growing quantum ecosystem, with the EPB Quantum Center that includes an IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer, and the coming plans for a joint venture between EPB and Vanderbilt University for the Institute for Quantum Innovation. Boyington said the new initiative will allow local students to work on EPB's IonQ computer. (SIGN UP: Get our weekly education newsletter by going to timesfreepress.com/education) By investing in students today, Tennessee is positioning itself as a leader in quantum, education, workforce and technology, Sheila Boyington said. The initiative is led by the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative with partners Thinking Media, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools, EPB and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Eventually, the program will expand beyond Hamilton County Schools across Tennessee. "How we give people power is by giving them education and giving them opportunities, evidenced by this pilot, which I don't believe will be a pilot for long. Can we just say that?" said Deniece Thomas, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "I think this will be really the flagship of what's to come." The Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative has several programs locally that are already emphasizing quantum concepts, including adding quantum security courses to