1. Tech is not *the* goal (and is often not *the* solution).

2. Tech (in a government context) is not the hardest part. The hard parts are people, policy, and procurement.

3. Equity, ethics, security, and privacy are not a box to be checked and do not belong in a silo—they should be integrated across the curriculum.

4. All policy is tech policy. Everything we aim to accomplish through policy—both "big P" and "small p"—depends on technology in some form, to achieve its intended outcomes.

• Make the content directly relevant to participants' day-to-day work, and actionable as possible.

• Focus on creating technical understanding, but root it/bring it back to how it impacts and is relevant to policy outcomes.

• Include hands-on learning opportunities as much as possible—something that helps them experience what you are teaching.

• Create opportunities for personal connections—moments for the participants to get to know each other (group activities, random break-outs, etc.)

• Create opportunities for instructors to provide advice or insight on issues students are currently grappling with.

• Don't over-use case studies. Use a case or two that effectively frame the content/learning of the day, and then focus on conveying the content that adds substance to the case.

• Don't over-use guest speakers. We found that 1 guest per day, bringing color to one of our core topics, was a great way to bring in a new perspective without turning the class into a stream of guests.

Hopefully we are moving beyond a Zoom world soon, but here's what we learned, in case it's relevant to you:

• Since our classes were 3 hours each (online) we largely treated them as two 1.5 hour chunks with a break in the middle

• Spend a few minutes at the beginning of each class (1) doing a quick recap of the previous class + (2) walking through the agenda for the day (and tell them when the break will be and how long it will be)

• Carve out about 5-10 at the beginning of class for chit-chat so people can get to know each other a bit. We did something we called "Breakout Roulette" which was random break-out rooms of 3-4 people.

• Set the break for about mid-way through the class, at a point at which it doesn’t disrupt the flow of thinking / discussion / narrative. Basically, look for a natural breaking point.

• Try not to talk for more than 20 min straight

• Try to mix up formats a bit:

  • • lecture

    • panel (2-3 is ideal for zoom)

    • guest speaker

    • fireside chat (i.e., instructor + guest chatting)