diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index c0ff78279..580b8fa30 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ defaults:
 env:
   FOQUS_CONDA_ENV_NAME_DEV: ccsi-foqus-dev
   PYTEST_BASETEMP: .pytest
+  DEFAULT_PYTHON_VERSION: '3.10'
 
 jobs:
   code-formatting:
@@ -34,8 +35,6 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.8'
       - name: Install Black
         # unlike the other jobs, we don't need to install FOQUS and/or all the dev dependencies,
         # but we still want to specify the Black version to use in requirements-dev.txt for local development
@@ -84,9 +83,9 @@ jobs:
             os-version: ubuntu-20.04
           - os: win64
             os-version: windows-2019
-          - python-version: "3.8"  # avoid uploading coverage for full matrix
+          - python-version: ${{ env.DEFAULT_PYTHON_VERSION }}  # avoid uploading coverage for full matrix
             use_coverage: true
-          - python-version: "3.8"  # this is to avoid installing optional dependencies in all environments
+          - python-version: ${{ env.DEFAULT_PYTHON_VERSION }}  # this is to avoid installing optional dependencies in all environments
             optional-dependencies: tensorflow sympy torch scikit-learn smt
     env:
       # uncomment this to debug Qt initialization errors
diff --git a/docs/source/chapt_dev/index.rst b/docs/source/chapt_dev/index.rst
index 259b28d1d..0ac346539 100644
--- a/docs/source/chapt_dev/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/chapt_dev/index.rst
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ will need a copy of the source to work with. Here is rough set of steps to get s
 
 - In a terminal create a conda env in which to work::
 
-    conda create --name ccsi-foqus -c conda-forge python=3.8 pywin32=306
+    conda create --name ccsi-foqus -c conda-forge python=3.10 pywin32=306
     conda activate ccsi-foqus
 
 - In a terminal, get the FOQUS source::
diff --git a/docs/source/chapt_install/index.rst b/docs/source/chapt_install/index.rst
index 1f05957a7..fb1feddf5 100644
--- a/docs/source/chapt_install/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/chapt_install/index.rst
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ FOQUS:
 
   - In a terminal, to setup and install::
       
-      conda create --name ccsi-foqus -c conda-forge python=3.8 pywin32=306
+      conda create --name ccsi-foqus -c conda-forge python=3.10 pywin32=306
       conda activate ccsi-foqus
       pip install ccsi-foqus
       foqus --make-shortcut  # Create Desktop shortcut (Windows only)
diff --git a/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst b/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst
index f9e328fea..5fec1ab52 100644
--- a/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst
+++ b/docs/source/chapt_install/install_python.rst
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Install Python
 --------------
 
-Python version 3.8 up through 3.9 is required to run FOQUS.
+Python version 3.8 up through 3.12 is required to run FOQUS.
 
 We recommend using either the `Miniconda <https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/miniconda.html>`_ or
 `Anaconda <https://www.anaconda.com/download/>`_ Python distribution and package management
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ ability to create self-contained python environments without any need for admini
 privileges. These separate environments can have different set of packages, isolating version
 dependencies when working with multiple python projects.
 
-If you have a working version of Python 3.7 through 3.9, which you prefer over Anaconda, you can
+If you have a working version of Python 3.8 through 3.12, which you prefer over Anaconda, you can
 skip these steps.
 
 Anaconda or Miniconda Install and Setup
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Anaconda or Miniconda Install and Setup
    after the ``--name`` flag in the below command.  In a terminal (or on Windows in the Anaconda
    Prompt) type::
 
-    conda create --name ccsi-foqus -c conda-forge python=3.8 pywin32=306
+    conda create --name ccsi-foqus -c conda-forge python=3.12 pywin32=306
 
    Then follow the prompts.  This will create a new conda environment with a minimal set of
    packages.  To use a different version of python, change the version specified after ``python=`` in