London was buzzing at the end of January as the 2019 BETT show once again brought together hundreds of leading companies and startups, as well as tens of thousands of members of the global education community. AlphaBEST CEO, Judy Nee, was there and soaking up all there was to see and learn in the realm of fresh and innovative educational technologies.

“We go into these shows really keeping an eye out for what’s on the edge of innovation relating to technology programs for kids,” said Nee, who noted that seeking out new products and staying abreast of what’s on the horizon is vital.

“There are companies and products from all over the world, from China and Korea to Poland and everywhere in between, so we really get to see the best of everything.”

This year, the Education Show was also operating at BETT’s host location—Excel London.

“It was a great opportunity to not only get an insider’s look at what is upcoming in the tech world, but to also get a look at the broader education landscape,” said Nee.

“Not everyone realizes that products created with the school day in mind can also be implemented for afterschool use.”

Nee adds that attending these shows are a nice way to gain a fresh perspective on subjects and approaches AlphaBEST already focuses on, such as robotics and coding.

“We’re able to discover these innovative approaches to content and curriculum, and implement them within the work that AlphaBEST is already doing.”

The AlphaBEST team takes this one step further by traveling to Silicon Valley—the hub of tech innovation—biannually, meeting with industry leaders to bring the best of afterschool education technology products and methods home with them.

“Ultimately, we’re constantly innovating and working with the afterschool student in mind—keeping their programming fun, hands-on, enriching and engaging.”