10:00 – 11:00 – Pre-conference Cortex Intro Workshop

This year, all attendees at SAS Educate 2025 will have the opportunity to play the Cortex Analytics Simulation. This interactive intro session will introduce the game, walk participants through the setup, and officially launch the competition which will run throughout the week. Through hands-on participation, not only will you experience the Cortex Analytics Simulation firsthand, but you'll also explore its collaborative features and discover how gamified learning with SAS Viya for Learners can engage students in statistical thinking and data analysis.

11:00 – 12:00 – Introduction & Opening Keynote

Kick off the week with welcome remarks from SAS Global Academic Programs leadership, and an engaging opening keynote discussing generative AI and LLMs. 

Speakers:

• Liz Moran, Director, Academic Programs & Certification
• Jürgen Kaselowsky, Director, Global Academic Programs
• Ari Zitin, Principal Analytical Training Consultant

12:00 – 12:30 – What’s New in SAS Global Academic Programs?

An overview of the many resources provided by the SAS Global Academic Programs team.

13:30 – 14:15 – SAS Data Ethics Practice & Data for Good

Hear from the SAS Data Ethics Practice team about SAS Data for Good projects and the company’s commitment to driving positive change with ethical AI. Discover inspiring ideas to bring into the classroom and spark meaningful discussions on responsible data practices.

14:15 – 15:00 – What’s New in SAS Software for Academics?

Get the latest updates about our free academic software.

11:00 – 12:30 – Workshop: SAS Viya Workbench for Learners

(Offered concurrently in Spanish / Simultáneamente en español)

SAS Viya Workbench for Learners (WFL) is the latest addition to our academic software lineup, offering a flexible, on-demand compute environment and the ability to program in your language of choice. This workshop will introduce you to WFL, its features, and how you can use it to empower your students. 

SAS Viya Workbench for Learners (WFL) es la incorporación más reciente a nuestra oferta de software académico. Proporciona un entorno de cómputo flexible, bajo demanda, y permite programar en el lenguaje de preferencia del usuario. En este taller, te presentaremos WFL, sus principales funcionalidades y cómo puedes utilizar esta herramienta para potenciar el aprendizaje de tus estudiantes. 

12:30 – 13:30 – Lunch & Cortex Office Hours

13:30 – 14:30 – Panel: SAS Educator Award Winners

This panel with recipients of our 2025 SAS Educator Awards will discuss methods, opportunities, modernization, and best practices in incorporating SAS into curriculum and across campus. 

14:30 – End of Day Wrap-up & Questions

14:30 – 15:00 – Transformando la educación: Domina la creación de prompts para potenciar tus clases

(Solo en español)

Descubre cómo la alfabetización en prompts puede revolucionar tu práctica docente. En esta sesión, exploraremos modelos efectivos para crear prompts que impulsen el pensamiento crítico, la analítica y el uso responsable de la inteligencia artificial en el aula. A través de ejemplos prácticos con SAS, te mostraremos cómo incorporar estos ejercicios en tus clases para enriquecer el aprendizaje.

11:00 – 12:30 – Workshop: SAS Viya for Learners

(Offered concurrently in Spanish / Simultáneamente en español)

SAS Viya for Learners (VFL) is a full suite of cloud-based software supporting the entire analytics life cycle. Featuring intuitive low- and no-code tools, SAS Viya for Learners makes exploring data, discovering insights, and deploying models more accessible than ever. This workshop will introduce VFL and highlight some of its most interesting features. 

SAS Viya for Learners (VFL) es una suite de software en la nube que respalda todo el ciclo de vida de la analítica. Con herramientas intuitivas de bajo y ningún nivel de codificación, SAS Viya for Learners facilita como nunca antes la exploración de datos, el descubrimiento de conocimientos y la implementación de modelos. Este taller te ofrecerá una introducción a VFL y destacará algunas de sus funciones más interesantes.

12:30 – 13:00 – Stretch Break

Hit pause to reset your energy and prepare for the afternoon events. This session, led by Pam Cole, director of SAS’s Recreation and Fitness Center, will include stretching, progressive muscle relaxation, and a moment to simply breathe.

13:00 – 13:30 – Lunch & Cortex Office Hours

13:30 – 14:00 – SAS Credentials & Certification

Learn more about our expanding offerings for credentials and certification, including our new SAS Knowledge Badges.

14:00 – 15:00 – Industry Connections: Academic Partnerships & Curriculum Integration

This panel with SAS industry partners will highlight some of the ways organizations are bridging the talent gap, and the ways that SAS can support ensuring your students are job-ready in a rapidly changing analytics landscape. 

11:00 – 11:45 – Applied Learning Opportunities (SAS Curiosity Cup & SAS Hackathon)

Did you know SAS provides many applied learning opportunities for students to get hands-on experience? This session will provide an overview of SAS-hosted events like Curiosity Cup and SAS Hackathon, as well as examples of other games, competitions, and hackathons that are used by our academic partners. 

11:45 – 12:30 – “Fitting It All Together” with SAS Global Academic Programs

Looking to update your curriculum? Heard something this week that piqued your interest? Not sure where to start? This session will provide some next steps for experienced and new SAS educators alike

12:30 – Wrap-up and Cortex Winner Announced

The results are in! Find out who topped the Cortex Leaderboard and hear from the SAS Educate team to wrap up this exciting week of learning.