ETP Newsletter: April 2026

Mission Accomplished: ETP Hits the Mark at NCEA 2026! 

What an incredible time in Minneapolis! The energy at the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Convention was electric, and our team at ETP went home inspired, energized, and more committed than ever to supporting the future of Catholic education.

Innovation in Action: The 3D Printer Challenge 

Many tried their luck at the ETP booth. The ultimate prize? A 3D printer to take back to their students!

Our booth was buzzing thanks to our "Unlock the Printer" challenge!

• The Game: Teachers had to pick from a basket of keys "unlock" our miniature 3D-printed 3D printer.

• The Winners: A huge congratulations to the several lucky teachers who cracked the code and took home a brand-new 3D printer for their schools! We can't wait to see what your students create.

The Grand Prize Drawing 

The excitement isn't over yet! Many schools registered for our exclusive giveaway. Stay tuned—we will soon be announcing the winners of: a full year of free IT services  or a year’s worth of premium STEM products! Forgot to register? It's not too late! Click here!

Bridging the gap between faith and technology. It was an honor to sit down with school staff and priests to explore how ETP could support their STEM and IT goals.

Connecting with Visionary Leaders

We spent our time engaged in deep, productive conversations with school leaders and educators from across the country. It was an honor to listen to your stories and discuss the vital role that IT and STEM in nurturing the next generation of students.

From streamlining classroom technology to implementing robust STEM curriculums, the passion for excellence in Catholic schools is truly unmatched. We are thrilled to have scheduled so many discovery calls to explore how ETP can help your schools thrive.

Memorable Moments in the Twin Cities

Beyond the convention floor, it was a true pleasure to visit Minneapolis. Between the productive sessions and the city's wonderful hospitality, this trip was one for the books.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the ETP booth. Whether we discussed cybersecurity, infrastructure, or 3D modeling, your dedication to your students is what drives us.

Missed us at the show? It’s not too late to start the conversation. Let’s build a tech-forward future for your school together.

Meet the team behind the mission! These dedicated individuals worked tirelessly to represent ETP at NCEA, building vital connections with school staff from every corner of the nation. We are proud of the hard work and the bridges built.

Harnessing the Breeze: How ETP Celebrated Earth Day 2026

This student used the power of wind to spin his turbine and generate real results.

This year, ETP celebrated Earth Day by launching immersive Green Energy Modules designed to turn environmental theory into practical engineering. The highlight of the program was a hands-on project where schools were tasked with building their own wind turbines. By assembling everything from the rotor blades to the internal generators, students gained a front-row seat to the physics of energy conversion, seeing exactly how natural air currents can be harvested to produce clean electricity.

These modules go beyond standard conservation lessons by focusing on the mechanical and structural side of sustainability. By empowering students to build their own renewable energy sources, ETP is fostering a generation of innovators who don't just understand the climate crisis but have the technical confidence to solve it. This Earth Day, we didn't just talk about a greener future—we built the machines to power it.

Spring Cleaning Your Network: Fighting "AI-Enhanced" Phishing

As we hit the home stretch of the 2026 school year, "Spring Cleaning" shouldn't just be about organizing supply closets—it’s time for a rigorous audit of your digital perimeter. Cybercriminals are currently leveraging generative AI to move past the "clunky" phishing emails of the past; they are now deploying hyper-realistic "vishing" (voice phishing) and "quishing" (QR code phishing) that perfectly mimic the tone of district superintendents or software vendors. With AI-driven social engineering accounting for over 80% of email threats this year, schools must move beyond basic filter reliance. Now is the time to verify that your network segmentation is airtight, ensuring that a single compromised student device on a "Spring Break" home network cannot bridge into your administrative "crown jewels" like payroll or student PII.

To fortify your defenses against these "AI-perfected" attacks, double down on human-centric security and technical "fail-safes." Ensure that Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is non-negotiable for all staff, and consider expanding it to student portals to prevent "ghost student" identity fraud that has plagued institutions this semester. Conduct a "digital sweep" to decommission legacy accounts from the first half of the year and update endpoint protection on all district-issued hardware. Most importantly, foster a culture of "out-of-band" verification: teach staff that if an urgent request from leadership sounds just a little too perfect, they should verify it via a quick face-to-face or a known internal phone extension. A clean network is a resilient one, providing the stability needed to finish the academic year strong.

Is your school’s infrastructure ready for the final 2026 push? 

If the thought of auditing your network segmentation or rolling out district-wide MFA feels like a daunting task for your team, you don't have to tackle it alone. Our experts specialize in educational IT security and can help you identify vulnerabilities before bad actors do. Contact us today for a comprehensive security health check or to discuss how we can streamline your "Spring Cleaning" process—let’s ensure your technology stays focused on student success, not security threats.