CHICAGO (AP)—They aren’t even out of grade school. But already, people are trying to name the youngest up-and-coming generation, and figure out who they might be and how they might be different from their predecessors.

At a loss for something more original, many call them Generation Z, because they follow Generations X and Y.

They’ve also been referred to as Generation Net or “iGen,” since they’ve never known a world without the Internet.

The state of the educa­tion­al system in our city schools is a major issue, so it was with inspiration, ambition, knowledge and creativity that sponsors of Bynums Marketing and Communication, Inc. GlaxoSmithKline, UPMC Health Plan, University of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, hosted the winners of the 18th Annual African American History Essay Contest awards ceremony at the Cardello Building on the North Shore, last month. Their goal is to recognize the important contributions that African-Americans have made to this country and the world.

CONTEST WINNERS

The patio-atrium was filled with parents and educators, who enjoyed the essays of the boys and girls who ranged in age from six through 18. The casual atmosphere was hosted by Crystal Bynum, vice president of Business Development, Bynums Marketing & Communications, Inc. Opening remarks were from Russell Bynum, president of BM&C, Inc., and Melesia Dunn, director of Communication, N.A., GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—When the Microsoft-designed School of the Future opened, the facility was a paragon of contemporary architecture, with a green roof, light-filled corridors and the latest classroom technology, all housed in a dazzling white modern building.

It might as well have been a fishbowl: Educators and the media from around the world watched to see whether Microsoft could reform public education through innovation in technology.

CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE—In this May 20 photo, students use laptop computers in the classroom at the “School of the Future” in Philadelphia.