Join us as we share and discuss how leadership can support NGSS implementation through professional learning experiences that center the needs of teachers and students through the use of high quality instructional materials. We will discuss specific strategies, resources and tools leveraging high quality instructional materials to strengthen the shared vision of the instructional shifts called for by the NGSS and engage educators in three dimensional phenomena driven teaching, learning and leadership. Hear how a state level partnership with multiple districts deepened teacher’s knowledge of the NGSS and three dimensional instructional practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using high quality instructional materials as a lever to further NGSS implementation across multiple district/school contexts can support teachers and leaders as they enhance and expand their practice to improve outcomes for their students and learning communities.

SPEAKERS:
Guy Ollison, Jenine Cotton-Proby, Nancy Hopkins-Evans

Join us for a discussion on how to advocate for and build capacity in elementary science education in rural, high-needs school districts. As part of an NSF-funded project, we've launched the Midwest STEM Alliance to elevate science teaching in rural elementary schools in Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas44. This roundtable will explore the initial strategies we've implemented in Year 1 to recruit and select a small number of STEM Teacher Corps members from this often-overlooked demographic of teacher leaders. We will share key findings from our Rural Elementary Science Needs Assessment to identify and address the specific challenges faced by rural elementary teachers. We invite participants to share their own experiences and collaborate on developing an advocacy agenda that centers on the unique needs of rural schools and creates a foundation for a long-term professional network that extends beyond the project's funding period.

TAKEAWAYS:
Engage in a dialogue about how to advocate for and support elementary science teachers in rural areas by establishing a sustainable professional community.

SPEAKERS:
Selin Akgun, Gillian Roehrig, Imogen Herrick, Dana Atwood-Blaine

What happens when you hand teachers powerful tools but no blueprint for how to use them? There is likely a lot of confusion and inconsistency. As school systems work to align instruction to NGSS, many turn to open educational resources (OER) to advance opportunity and access, but real transformation requires more than merely adopting new materials. They need skillful, intentional, and high-quality practice. This roundtable brings together leaders from J.S. Morton High School District (IL) and Great Oaks Legacy Charter Network (NJ) to share how they’re implementing NGSS-aligned OER curricula at scale. Participants will explore leadership structures, professional learning systems, and data tools that enable coherence across classrooms and grade bands. Attendees will leave with practical considerations for balancing fidelity with local adaptation, building teacher capacity, and leading sustainable, systemwide improvement in science teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain strategies to lead sustainable, systemwide science improvement by aligning leadership, professional learning, and data systems to support effective, consistent implementation of NGSS-aligned OER.

SPEAKERS:
Solona Hollis, Solona Hollis

Urban school districts are uniquely positioned at the intersection of innovation and inequity. This roundtable invites educators, leaders, and community stakeholders to discuss strategies that increase access, engagement, and achievement in STEM for historically underserved students. Together, participants will examine real-world challenges such as resource gaps, culturally relevant pedagogy, and teacher retention, while sharing solutions like community partnerships, after-school STEM initiatives, and project-based learning. The session will serve as a collaborative space to exchange best practices and inspire actionable steps toward equity in STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Equity in STEM education requires more than good intentions—it takes intentional strategies, culturally relevant teaching, and sustainable partnerships that ensure urban students see themselves as scientists, engineers, and innovators.

SPEAKERS:
Tamia Murphy

Student agency involves students taking ownership of their learning, and it can have many positive benefits, including motivation and self-efficacy. However, cultivating agency requires opportunities to do so. What kinds of agency opportunities do educators provide? How receptive are educators to providing them? Do science teachers differ from teachers in other subjects in these regards? In this session, I’ll share what we know about student agency, what it can look like in science, the findings of recent research, and what else we have yet to learn about it. Session participants will engage in conversation about the unique affordances and challenges of providing students with agency opportunities and leave with ideas, strategies, and a report on recent research findings.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about ways to define agency, what research tells us the benefits of agency are, what agency can look like in science, and the latest research on student agency, both generally and in science.

SPEAKERS:
Nicholas Balisciano

Faculty websites are often the first entry point for students seeking research opportunities, yet they vary widely in showing inclusive values. We examine how biology faculty websites at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and non-MSIs include elements that welcome students from marginalized backgrounds. The main focus is the presence and content of inclusivity statements, referencing diversity, equity, and inclusion, provide resources, or support underrepresented students. Using qualitative coding, we analyze websites from a random sample of biology departments, examining inclusive factors such as lab member representation, personal information, and explicit anti-discrimination language. Results show that inclusivity statements remain rare overall, with minimal differences between MSI and non-MSI websites. By raising awareness of the role of faculty webpages in shaping belonging, this project advocates for intentional, equitable, and welcoming online spaces in biology education.

TAKEAWAYS:
This project is aimed towards research faculty. It highlights the importance of personal websites, and encourages those without one to create one. For faculty with a website, it is hoped to implement more inclusive and welcoming practices, increasing participation from minoritized groups in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Taona Maphosa

Learn about the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association and what we offer to our members.

TAKEAWAYS:
The National Middle Level Science Teachers Association (NMLSTA) is the only national organization dedicated to the support of middle level educators—grades five through nine.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Lou Lipscomb

Elizabeth Zodda has five years of experience teaching an interdisciplinary course that includes both science and social studies. This course examines the relationship between the public, governing bodies, and scientific experts, and aims to develop a deep understanding in students of how science establishes itself as a cultural authority on truth. The course also explores contemporary issues that involve science but cannot be reduced to science alone and clarifies our values in relation to them. The course uses analytical approaches from history, sociology, and philosophy of science, and aims to help students improve their ability to make informed decisions about science-related issues in a democratic manner. In this session, we will explore the connections between this course and the NGSS statement on the Nature of Science and see how the approach can be used for a range of contemporary issues that some students may find controversial.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students are introduced to a novel approach to examining the contributions that science and non-science subjects can make to contemporary issues. They learn about the nature of science in an interdisciplinary course where they can compare the aims and values of science with those of other subjects.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Zodda

Regardless of where you are in your journey, leaders advocate for the power of HQIM to promote equitable learning opportunities for students and teachers. Join BSCS to consider the important step of building a team that works together to achieve broad and effective implementation over time.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leaders will consider the phases of curriculum implementation and the role a leadership team can play throughout the process from selection through sustaining broad and effective use.

SPEAKERS:
Jody Bintz

What should science education look like in 2025? Whether you're a district leader, instructional coach, or classroom teacher, you'll leave with tools to build capacity for high quality science instruction This session introduces Dig Into Science—a free, go-at-your-own-pace professional learning series co-developed by WA, OR, ID, and NM to support educators new to science teaching. Participants will explore the modules firsthand, engage in collaborative reflection, and consider how to use this resource to support onboarding, mentoring, and professional development. Come ready to dig in!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore a powerful new one-stop resource designed to support educators in best instructional practices and leave with actionable strategies to deploy it in their own contexts.

SPEAKERS:
Johanna Brown, Andrea Baerwald, McKenzie Sonderegger

One of the significant barriers to meaningful implementation of the NGSS is the fact that it is seen as a set of tools or strategies rather than a vision for teaching and learning science. In this session we will focus on how the foundation behind the NGSS – the Principles of Learning from How People Learn – led to the vision behind the NGSS as outlined in the Framework, and the two supporting National Academies reports, Investigation and Design at the Center and The Brilliance of Children and the Strengths of Educators. We will connect this foundation to leadership for science teaching and learning and then collaboratively develop a vision. We will discuss how participants can use these strategies to collaboratively develop a vision in their schools. Finally, we will share examples from NJ district leaders about how engaging in this process motivated and supported their teachers and positively impacted the school culture for teaching and learning science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will collaboratively develop a vision for effective science teaching and learning based on the Framework. We will share examples from local leaders about how engaging in this process motivated their teachers and drove meaningful NGSS implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Wil Van der Veen, Stacey Van der Veen

This session focuses on a research-based Career Connected Learning (CCL) Framework and durable skills to assist leaders in decision making around learning pathways. Driven by DoW priorities, the CCL Framework supports students, educators and industry partners to align learning and workforce opportunities. We will share the CCL Framework iterative process and explore potential use cases for maximum impact. Come prepared to engage, learn and share your expertise to take CCL to the next level.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore a research-based Career Connected Learning (CCL)Framework and durable skills to design effective career pathways, align learning with workforce needs, and apply practical strategies to strengthen CCL opportunities.

SPEAKERS:
Marc Siciliano

Science sparks students’ excitement and curiosity about the world! Explore research and discuss how to build your toolbox for engaging others in prioritizing phenomenon-based instruction in elementary students’ curricular experiences; go beyond special activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with strategies to advocate for integrating science into students’ elementary classroom experiences, on par with ELA and Math.

SPEAKERS:
Yanira Vazquez

Elevate your science teaching with “Tools for Teachers: Effective Science Lesson Resource,” an interactive workshop designed to empower educators. In this session, you’ll explore the development and purpose behind the Tools for Teachers Science resources and receive clear, step-by-step guidance on how to access and navigate these valuable materials. Experience a sample modeled lesson that demonstrates practical ways to integrate these resources into your daily instruction, making science lessons more engaging and effective for all students. You’ll gain real-world strategies for implementing standards-aligned activities that foster student understanding and curiosity. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave equipped with the confidence, insights, and tools needed to enrich your science teaching and maximize the impact of the Tools for Teachers resources in your classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave equipped with the confidence, insights, and tools needed to enrich your science teaching and maximize the impact of the Tools for Teachers resources in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Quan

Explore how food can make science tangible and engaging! This Share-a-thon presentation will showcase Pilot Light’s integrated food education approach, and our newly revised PK-12 Food Education Standards. Participants can see examples of lesson implementation from real middle school classrooms across the country, and access hundreds of free practical tools and resources from our online Food Education Center to bring food-centered science learning into their classrooms. Designed for informal, interactive engagement, attendees are encouraged to ask questions, share ideas, and take away replicable strategies to make science learning relevant, student-centered, and experiential. Leave with sample lessons and resources to take back to your classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Practical, hands-on examples connecting food education to NGSS-aligned, student-centered science concepts, along with ideas for cross-curricular connections to overcome barriers like time, access, or resources.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

What does it mean to lead leaders in science education? In this interactive session, participants will experience highlights from our Secondary Coordinator Leadership Summit, designed to build belonging, strengthen leadership identity, and align practice with core district values. Together, we will engage in protocols from our coordinator workbook, discuss challenges and opportunities in leading adult learners, and reflect on how courageous leadership can catalyze change. Participants will leave with practical tools and a renewed vision for cultivating leadership in others to advance science education forward.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical strategies and reflective tools to courageously lead other leaders—fostering belonging, strengthening teams, and advancing meaningful change in science education.

SPEAKERS:
Pam McWilliams, Rebecca Rolater

Many educators, families, and communities understand that STEM learning can lead to rewarding careers that support strong, stable futures. The question then becomes: how do we let our students know that everyone has a place in STEM? And, if everyone has a place in STEM, how do we expose all students to meaningful STEM opportunities? Together, schools and communities can create intentional pathways to make STEM opportunities available to all students. In this session, we will explore some of these strategies with a particular focus on how schools can partner with families and communities to infuse STEM into in- and out-of-school learning experiences and tap into the local STEM assets that can be found in every community if we look for them! We will also explore how to build multiple pathways into STEM that allow for students to engage from kindergarten into postsecondary pursuits into STEM careers, as well as how schools, families, and communities can embed career connections int

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how schools, families, and communities can work together to create meaningful STEM pathways, helping every student see themselves in STEM and access engaging, real-world opportunities from early childhood through postsecondary careers.

SPEAKERS:
Rebecca Stanley, Kristen McInerney

Every superhero has an origin story—and in education, teacher leaders are the heroes transforming classrooms, schools, and communities. This interactive session explores Domains 4 and 5 of the Teacher Leadership Model Standards, emphasizing how teacher leaders facilitate professional learning (Domain 4) and promote the teaching profession (Domain 5). Participants will engage in hands-on, collaborative activities designed to discuss mentoring practices, advocacy skills, and strategies for building teacher voice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Identify key practices within Domains 4 and 5 of the Teacher Leader Model Standards that foster leadership and advocacy.

SPEAKERS:
Jenne VandePanne, Jessica Wagenmaker

Curriculum adoptions provide a unique opportunity to support deep professional learning and ensure equitable student outcomes. Using EdReports’ review tools and experience supporting districts and states, this session will focus on how to use the curriculum adoption process to engage all stakeholders by supporting them to learn more about the Framework/NGSS for evaluating materials and improving instruction. Participants will model using an instructional vision for science to improve teachers' understanding of the broader implications of the Framework/NGSS on rigorous science instruction. Participants will also examine how training teachers to use evaluation criteria can improve their knowledge of the three dimensions, in particular SEPs and CCCs, and what high-quality phenomenon and problem-based science instruction can look like. Participants will leave with strategies for implementing broader professional learning using curriculum adoptions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn strategies for using K-12 curriculum adoptions to support deep professional learning around the NGSS/Framework, particularly sensemaking with the three-dimensions and phenomenon and problem based instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Sam Shaw

In this era of science denial K-12 teachers have an opportunity to provide appropriate responses in their programs. This session introduces understandable and achievable responses with clear connections to NGSS and associated state science standards that use the 5E instructional model. This session will include both a short presentation and a brief activity. The activities in this session are contained in a new co-publication by Corwin and NSTA presses.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this era many science teachers have concerns about science denial but express doubts about what they can do. This session's main takeaway is a response to the stated concern--teach students about the nature of science as included in NGSS.

SPEAKERS:
Rodger Bybee

Research shows the power of coaching cycles in transforming teaching and learning in the classroom, but many teachers are hesitant to engage in individualized coaching for a variety of reasons. In-house, targeted professional learning that aligns to the needs of the individual teacher and site goals is needed if educators are going to continue to grow in their practice in order to support their students. This session will provide the participants the opportunity to unpack the needs of their site through discussion and interaction. We will then share unique opportunities that sites could use to involve more teachers in professional learning. Some of these will include site level learning walks, site level targeted power days for teacher teams, and learning lunches. These are teacher designed, teacher facilitated and teacher selected. We will also provide ways in which sites can monitor and assess the effectiveness of the learning programs being offered in-house.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with a variety of creative professional learning (PL) opportunities to implement at their site/district based on the needs of the site/district as well as tools for how to assess the effectiveness of the PL being provided.

SPEAKERS:
Leah Ward, Becky McKinney

Inspired by InSECT, we propose courses that include both science and humanities. Elizabeth Zodda has five years of experience teaching an interdisciplinary course that blends science and social studies and includes students who may not see themselves as science students. In this session you will see how such a course was developed and how it runs. As students investigate current or historical issues that make use of scientific knowledge, we analyze the differences between science and other disciplines such as literature or political science. How do they compare in their approach to knowledge production, interpretation, and communication? Through this unusual classroom experience, students develop an appreciation for science and its role in providing trustworthy and reliable knowledge about the world and come to understand the arts and humanities. Stand-alone lesson suggestions will be included for use in your own classroom to enhance your science students’ connection to current events.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a better understanding of how science and other subjects differ in terms of building up, evaluating and using knowledge. You will be introduced to interdisciplinary methods for discussing the nature of science with your students.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Zodda

Action-Oriented Pedagogies (AOP; Weinberg et al., 2024) is a framework that couples student learning with real-world community impact, prioritizing outcomes that go beyond scientific knowledge acquisition. Join us as we share insights into the implementation of action learning cycles and how STEM leaders and teachers can support sustainable, naturally cascading student action. During this session, we will introduce AOP through the work of practicing educators who use meaningful, locally-relevant sustainability issues to extend students’ content learning and develop their science, engineering, and interpersonal skills – with a particular focus on how this work can ripple into positive cognitive, behavioral, and socioemotional outcomes. We will then explore how to intentionally foster student agency and tap into valuable community resources to support action, providing useful takeaways for participants to bring back to their own contexts!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be introduced to Action-Oriented Pedagogies and will gain insights into how it has been used to support community action as well as students’ cognitive, behavioral, and socioemotional growth, leaving with key takeaways for supporting such work on their own campuses.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Jordan, Janet Ankrum, Tamara Van Sickle, Sarah Suloff

This session will encourage teachers to take stock of their current practices and context. We will then consider strategies for building and cultivating your resilience toolbox so you can work toward being healthier and more effective for yourself, your family, and your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will consider how to cultivate competence, confidence, and connection, stay grounded, and set boundaries in your context.

SPEAKERS:
Brooke Whitworth

California remains at the forefront of science education innovation, guided by NGSS implementation, major investments in climate and clean-energy learning, and expanding career-connected pathways. At the same time, state legislators and education policymakers are confronting persistent challenges: uneven access to high-quality science instruction, shortages in the science teacher workforce, growing pressures on professional learning, and wide variation in district-level accountability and assessment practices. New debates around AI literacy, modernization of science assessments, and the role of industry partnerships are further shaping expectations for science teaching and learning. This NSTA policy briefing will convene California science education leaders, corporate stakeholders and science education policy experts for a focused discussion on the most urgent issues affecting science education in 2026.

TAKEAWAYS:
The session will highlight opportunities to strengthen teacher preparation and retention, sustain NGSS implementation, support hands-on and real-world learning, and ensure that science maintains its place as a core component of a well-rounded education.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Hirst Bernhardt, Melissa Marcucci, Alex Molinich, James Brown, Tony Thurmond

This presentation examines the crucial role of emotional intelligence (EI) in science education, highlighting effective strategies to foster resilience and engagement among students. Participants will gain a deep understanding of EI's five key components: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. The session will introduce practical approaches for creating an emotionally supportive classroom, such as establishing safe spaces, conducting emotional check-ins, and integrating social-emotional learning activities into math lessons. Engaging interactive discussions will allow participants to share experiences and insights, fostering a collaborative learning environment. Attendees will leave with actionable resources to enhance EI in their teaching practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to effectively integrate emotional intelligence strategies into their teaching practices to foster resilience and engagement in science education, ultimately creating a more supportive and collaborative classroom environment.

SPEAKERS:
Katherine Meraz, Dominic Ramos

This session immerses educators in the process of designing an interdisciplinary, project-based unit that uses the phenomenon of climate change to drive sense making and real-world application. Teachers will experience strategies that connect science, social studies, and engineering as students explore the causes and impacts of global warming, examine the historical roots of industrialization, and confront issues of environmental equity affecting marginalized communities. Participants will learn how to scaffold inquiry, integrate NGSS-aligned practices, and use student-driven projects, from 3D-printed sustainable city models to DIY hydroponic kits and climate PSAs, to deepen learning. The session models real classroom examples of step-by-step strategies, rubrics, and classroom-ready tools that empower teachers to transform complex global challenges into authentic, local learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn to design interdisciplinary, NGSS-aligned projects where students investigate climate change, explore environmental justice, and engineer sustainable community solutions through hands-on design and activism.

SPEAKERS:
Glenroy Foster, Nicole Marcellin

Have you ever wondered how you can be a part of the research work that informs the knowledge and practices related to effective science education? Our session will focus on stories of science education researchers that have transitioned from K-12 classrooms to engaging in K-12 research. We will discuss ways to become involved in research while remaining in the classroom or by transitioning to a new career. We will also discuss the various avenues you can pursue to be more involved in research, such as participating in research-practice partnerships that help inform quality educational research work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Meet the NSTA Research Committee and guest speakers to find out how you can leverage your teaching experiences to make a career change from K-12 to different research positions, or remain in the classroom while contributing to research work.

SPEAKERS:
Demetrice Smith-Mutegi, Jaclyn Murray, Lisa Marco-Bujosa, Carla Zembal-Saul, Debi Hanuscin, Jesse Wilcox, Gayle Buck

Explore how food can make science tangible and engaging! This Share-a-thon presentation will showcase Pilot Light’s integrated food education approach, and our newly revised PK-12 Food Education Standards. Participants can see examples of lesson implementation from real elementary and early childhood classrooms across the country, and access hundreds of free practical tools and resources from our online Food Education Center to bring food-centered science learning into their classrooms. Designed for informal, interactive engagement, attendees are encouraged to ask questions, share ideas, and take away replicable strategies to make science learning relevant, student-centered, and experiential. Leave with sample lessons and resources to take back to your classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Practical, hands-on examples connecting food education to NGSS-aligned, student-centered science concepts, along with ideas for cross-curricular connections to overcome barriers like time, access, or resources.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

Science in the elementary school is meant to be focused on sensemaking of phenomenon that are accessible to all students. Young children have the right to engage in science explorations daily toward the goal of them having the tools to explain their world. This session is created by COESEE - a collaboration of several science educators who are focused on equity in elementary science. In this session, we (COESEE) will engage participants in examples of elevating student-led sensemaking as an integral part of science learning by leveraging the science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts. We will provide opportunity for supported discussion around elementary school science learning as a transdisciplinary experience and offer arguments that can be used to advocate for extended, high-quality, science learning time in the elementary school.

TAKEAWAYS:
Elementary science is a critical part of every students' school learning experience and is a right of every child.

SPEAKERS:
Mary Starr

State legislatures and education agencies are increasingly shaping the future of STEM education through funding priorities, accountability systems, and curriculum standards. This session will provide a deep dive into how state-level policy decisions affect classroom practice and science learning opportunities. Participants will explore strategies for influencing state policy debates and aligning advocacy with state-specific priorities. The session will highlight real-world case studies of effective state advocacy campaigns.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understanding how to engage the right state-level levers—legislatures, agencies, and boards—can significantly influence the direction of Science and STEM education policy in your community.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

This presentation introduces educators to California’s Alternate Diploma Pathway—a transformative and inclusive graduation option for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Participants will learn from veteran special education teachers how students can earn a standard high school diploma by meeting the state's minimum course requirements using California’s Alternate Achievement Standards, fully aligned with federal accountability guidelines under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Audiences will learn how East Side Union High School District’s special education program transformed over the last 3 years to answer the CA Alternate Diploma pathway requirement. Presenters will also share the instructional shifts that provide high-quality, equity-driven standards-based science education, rooted in the Next Generation Science Standards that engage and empower learners often left out of traditional pathways. Participants will see examples of strategies for adapting science l

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will be equipped with a model of a school district’s programmatic shift that provides authentic access to the standards based science curriculum for students with significant cognitive disabilities and instructional strategies needed to ensure their success in science.

SPEAKERS:
Ethyl Santos, Vanessa Vitug, Marrika Martin

Sustaining districtwide shifts in science instruction requires strong teacher leaders. In this session, participants will explore how one urban district scaled the EarthX District Teacher Team (DTT) from 5 to 26 high schools to lead phenomena-based, three-dimensional (NGSS-aligned) science instruction in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The DTT model positions teachers as instructional leaders who bridge district goals with classroom practice while fostering collaboration, shared artifacts, and professional learning. Presenters will share lessons learned on recruitment, coaching, equity of access, and sustaining efforts beyond grant funding. Attendees will engage in leadership design protocols to analyze challenges, apply an equity lens to systemic change, and generate strategies for scaling STEM initiatives. Participants will leave with tools, protocols, and an action plan to strengthen science leadership in their contexts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to leverage teacher leadership to sustain equitable, NGSS-aligned science instruction across schools and leave with practical tools, protocols, and strategies for building and scaling effective STEM leadership teams in their own districts.

SPEAKERS:
Nina Groseclose, Angela Hood, Edmund Mitzel, Jr., Ph.D., Alan Berkowitz, Jenn Brown-Whale, Kevin Garner

Why do birds matter? Birds reflect the health of our planet and spark curiosity—especially species like the dazzling birds-of-paradise. This session explores how bird-centered storytelling and participatory science can engage youth, promote interdisciplinary learning, and inspire conservation. Birds are powerful connectors between people and place, helping learners see links between their communities and the wider world. Attendees will explore the fascinating lives of our avian counterparts—from eBird to iNaturalist—to inspire students to observe, ask questions, and take local action. Leave with practical strategies to use birds as a gateway for deeper connections between people, place, and planet.

TAKEAWAYS:
Birds connect people to nature, place, and global ecosystems. Through storytelling and participatory science, educators can engage youth in interdisciplinary learning and conservation action, starting in their own communities and expanding outward.

SPEAKERS:
Lyanne Abreu

From federal appropriations to nationwide STEM initiatives, federal policy plays a critical role in shaping science education across the country. This session will unpack the latest developments in Congress and the Administration, with a focus on opportunities and threats for STEM funding streams. Attendees will gain insight into how federal decision-making affects state and local implementation, and how educators can amplify their voices in Washington. Practical advocacy tips for engaging federal policymakers will be emphasized.

TAKEAWAYS:
Effective advocacy is a skill—and with the right tools and strategies, every STEM educator and advocate can shape education policy at the local, state, and federal level.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

Physics continues to lag behind other sciences in student enrollment, with persistent underrepresentation of women and other marginalized groups. Yet there are ways teachers can help disrupt and change this trend by applying practical, evidence-based strategies in the classroom. This session introduces the STEP UP curriculum—research-based lessons designed to shift classroom culture and inspire students to pursue physics. Participants will engage with two cornerstone lessons: Careers in Physics, which showcases diverse and rewarding career paths with a physics degree, and Women in Physics, which addresses the roots of gender bias while equipping teachers with strategies to counter it. Through interactive activities, attendees will experience the lessons from a student perspective, then reflect on practical approaches for classroom integration. All STEP UP resources are freely available, teacher-friendly, and developed by the American Physical Society in collaboration with educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Walk away with ready-to-use strategies for STEP UP’s evidence-based lessons, full access to digital resources, and a supportive national teacher network to help you make your physics classroom more welcoming and inclusive, and encourage more students to consider taking physics courses.

SPEAKERS:
Pooja Gupta

Science teachers must create learning environments where ALL students, regardless of their language proficiency and ability, have equal access to meaningful STEM/STEAM curriculum (Lems & Stegemoller, 2019). Session shows how integrating second language acquisition principles and constructivist STEAM content is effective for diverse students (Lee & Stephens, 2020). Presenters focus on Ecosystem lessons based on goals from Arizona Science Standard: LS2C Ecosystems Culturally relevant STEAM curricula and strategies for Latino, Indigenous, and Filipino populations will be demonstrated. Examples focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion via Indigenous Web of Life Curriculum and Hispanic Community Science Projects. Culturally/linguistically diverse STEAM lessons enable teachers to effectively teach Multilingual learners, Neurodiverse learners, and diverse students with disabilities. Takeaways are STEAM lesson examples and activities teachers can immediately use in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers experience STEAM strategies and curriculum materials for instruction of Diverse Multilingual Learners, Neurodiverse Learners, and Diverse Students with Disabilities so they can replicate the effective materials and teaching strategies for similar students in their own schools and community.

SPEAKERS:
Gerry Madrazo, Ph.D, Elaine Luzbert, Patricia Peterson

Facilitate sensemaking and increase content relevance with safety and sustainability problems! Join us as we present (1) Xplorlabs, a free online platform from UL Research Institutes that explores modern-day science phenomena through a safety science lens; and (2) Action-Oriented Pedagogies (AOP; Weinberg et al., 2024), an instructional framework that pairs coursework with community impact, providing meaningful contexts for all students to transform their ideas and learnings into action. During this session, you will engage with Xplorlabs resources from a student perspective, then discuss how they can be combined with AOP to support student use of science and engineering knowledge and practices to address real-world problems. This conversation will be supported by exemplary work from real teachers who position youth as changemakers in their local communities. When you leave, you’ll be ready to support your own students’ action towards safer and more sustainable futures!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discover resources to support students’ application of knowledge and use of science and engineering skills, as well as ways to leverage Action-Oriented Pedagogies for student action that extends learning beyond the classroom and addresses local safety and sustainability challenges.

SPEAKERS:
Catherine Robinson, Elliot Hall, Ruben Carroll, Sarah Suloff

Exposure to lead has lifelong health impacts, especially for children who are most vulnerable. North Carolina’s Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ program provides an authentic context for student learning as schools test water for lead and address environmental health hazards. In this workshop, participants will step into a middle school project-based learning unit where students investigate three real-world case studies of lead exposure, analyze data to uncover causes and impacts, and apply cross-curricular skills in science, math, social studies, and ELA. Acting as scientists and engineers, students engage in sensemaking by leveraging the science and engineering practices in the context of a real-world phenomena culminating with students designing informational materials for various audiences that propose actions for safer communities. Participants will experience portions of the unit from a student perspective and leave with adaptable resources to integrate environmental health into engaging, standards-aligned instruction.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how a cross-curricular PBL unit empowers middle school students to investigate lead exposure, analyze real data, and advocate for safer communities through evidence-based action.

SPEAKERS:
Nicole Mills

Take away strategies and ideas to help reach all students in your classroom. The strategies shared are used in a middle school classroom using a storyline approach with little to no special education support. We will discuss and share how to use manipulatives, video, voice to text, audio, websites, and more to enhance and support all students in your classroom. Walk away with many ideas you could use next week!

TAKEAWAYS:
One main takeaway will be the accommodations and supports that can be created with a little effort that will help most students in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Kirsten Smith

Effective implementation of HQIM requires visioning and planning. Join BSCS to learn how one district developed a plan to ensure equity for all learners in the system through broad and effective implementation of HQIM.

TAKEAWAYS:
Consider how high-quality instructional materials can be used to design more equitable systems.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby

At the elementary level, teachers can share examples of organisms whose traits challenge heteronormative thinking and support children in seeing that ‘difference’ is a norm in nature (Gunkel, Davis, & Bautista, 2024). Join us for an exploration of how penguins are portrayed in children's literature and how learning about penguins can be used to create LGBTQ+ inclusive science classrooms. We will share an annotated bibliography of children’s literature as well as the activities we used to engage teachers in considering LGBTQ+ issues related to science and science teaching, and how to foster a sense of belonging for all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
By identifying implicit biases in materials, resources, and language and by focusing on teaching about diversity among organisms, teachers can meet NGSS standards while creating inclusive classrooms for all students, LGBTQ+ in particular.

SPEAKERS:
Debi Hanuscin, Trinadey Coville

Urban school districts are uniquely positioned at the intersection of innovation and inequity. This roundtable invites educators, leaders, and community stakeholders to discuss strategies that increase access, engagement, and achievement in STEM for historically underserved students. Together, participants will examine real-world challenges such as resource gaps, culturally relevant pedagogy, and teacher retention, while sharing solutions like community partnerships, after-school STEM initiatives, and project-based learning. The session will serve as a collaborative space to exchange best practices and inspire actionable steps toward equity in STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Even in resource-limited urban classrooms, innovative and low-cost STEM practices can break barriers, spark curiosity, and open pathways to future success.

SPEAKERS:
Tamia Murphy

Too often banned as distractions, cell phones can be reimagined as powerful science tools for equity and engagement. Grounded in my white paper Reimagining Public School Education: Embracing Innovation for the Future, this workshop explores global models showing how structured integration of mobile devices boosts collaboration, real-time feedback, and personalized learning. Through polling, simulations, and role-play, participants will experience strategies for turning student phones into curriculum-aligned instruments—even without advanced infrastructure. Attendees will leave with blueprints to address privacy, policy, and access while reframing the device in every student’s pocket as a lab of the 21st century.

TAKEAWAYS:
Cell phones, when structured and intentional, shift from distraction to powerful science tools—supporting equity, personalization, and engagement while preparing students for a tech-driven future.

SPEAKERS:
Marvin Reid

Wipro Climate V-CCLS This is a course study with Stanford/Wipro/SFUSD. Climate Science, Climate Anxiety, Climate Change, and Climate Justice. This was a research study through research articles at Alice Fong Yu K-8 in SFUSD. The research was done by four educators, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade and the Middle School Music Teacher, along with entire Middle School student body. The lessons are aligned to the Common Core, SEL and the NGSS. Along with the research and lessons, AFY was filmed by the Sustainability Office of SF Gov, which was played on SFGov.. The final component was the students were Climate Change Agents at the SF GOV 2nd Annual Climate Action Youth Summit. The students designed stations for the 2500 students, along with writing and performing a Climate Change Summit Song for the event. This summit, has and will continue to be part of the fabric of Alice Fong Yu and commitment as stewards of change.

TAKEAWAYS:
The main takeaway is aligned to creating a culture where Science Research at a school site can impact and not only a student, their family but the community at large. The collaboration, creativity, curiosity, collaboration, communication was demonstrated by the educators, for the students.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Yue, Lisa Ernst

The Science of Reading is a comprehensive skill that is the understanding how humans learn to read and how reading should be taught effectively. It is not only from literacy and linguistics but also from neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science. Far from being limited to early literacy, the Science of Reading applies across all content areas, supporting reading comprehension and academic success in every subject including STEM subjects.

TAKEAWAYS:
A main takeaway is that reading is not natural and it must be taught explicitly and directly! It needs to be taught from multiple diciplines like neuroscience, psychology, and lingustics.

SPEAKERS:
Lydia Chapman

Participants will explore the importance of building a positive STEM identity and integrating it into the K–12 curriculum. This poster will highlight strategies for fostering an environment that promotes competence, curiosity, and confidence in students as they pursue STEM learning. Attendees will discover ways to leverage students’ existing “working knowledge” to deepen engagement and connection to STEM concepts. Resources and examples will be provided to help educators support students in developing a strong and lasting STEM identity. This session is ideal for educators seeking to empower their students in STEM, regardless of background or experience. Participants will leave inspired and equipped to make a meaningful impact on their students’ STEM identity.

TAKEAWAYS:
Unlock students' STEM IDENTITY with hands-on strategies that inspire confidence, curiosity, and STEM skills. Learn how aviation and aeronautics can promote a growth mindset and create real-life engineering scenarios and career connections. Get free resources and actionable steps at this session.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Steiner, Christina Davis

Join BSCS to dig into one district’s efforts to enact and monitor a curriculum implementation plan. Consider how their plan incorporates system drivers and the elements of curriculum-based professional learning (CBPL) to support teachers in ensuring equitable student learning outcomes

TAKEAWAYS:
Leaders will walk away with practical approaches to considering system drivers and the elements of CBPL to support teachers in reconsidering their practice and making the shifts needed to ensure equitable outcomes for each student.

SPEAKERS:
Jody Bintz

Want more students at your STEM Table? Your STEM Table is only as big as the chairs you pull up! The session highlights practical, scalable strategies that educators, instructional leaders, and program designers can adapt to a variety of contexts. Rather than viewing rural settings as limitations, we emphasize leveraging local assets—such as community industries, environmental contexts, military installations, and regional partnerships—to create meaningful, place-based STEM learning experiences.

TAKEAWAYS:
Pull up a chair! Learn strategies to design STEM pathways that intentionally include rural learners, connect learning to local assets, and build community partnerships. Leave with concrete tools to give every student a meaningful seat at the STEM table.

SPEAKERS:
Dr. Crystal Ricks, Jessica Minton, Michelle Hendrick

What will be described in this speed sharing session is are community science events that can be organized with themes that use natural phenomena or NGSS standards, practices, and outcomes that a school would like to promote. We will also share how we form these partnerships with local schools and museums.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to update these events to go beyond the traditional Family Science Events that are superficial. One main takeaway are examples of in depth activities and resources that can be used with families and students at local schools and museums. We share information about resources.

SPEAKERS:
Alexandra Chester, Taylor Fockler, Jordan Kobielus, Jim McDonald

Are you new to co-teaching or wanting to learn about it? If so, please join us to explore specific, practical strategies that you can use immediately to begin your co-teaching journey in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to apply various strategies for co-teaching, such as identifying co-teaching roles, implementing different models of co-teaching, and how to practically plan given limited time.

SPEAKERS:
Harper De Mey, Sydnie Chouery

This session provides a practical blueprint for launching and sustaining a cross-grade STEM Ambassador program, covering student selection and training, curriculum development, materials and funding, and time management. Participants will explore how high school students are prepared to serve as effective STEM educators while delivering age-appropriate, standards-aligned instruction to elementary learners through the Design Thinking Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, Share). Attendees will engage in a simulated 4th-grade lesson to experience the curriculum in action, gain strategies for building strong school-to-school partnerships, and learn how vertical alignment supports long-term STEM pathways. The session also highlights student-led learning through firsthand insights from high school ambassadors who design and facilitate hands-on STEM challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to design and sustain a cross-grade STEM Ambassador program by selecting and training student leaders, aligning curriculum to the Design Thinking Process, managing logistics and sustainability, and building strong partnerships across schools and the broader community.

SPEAKERS:
Melinda Clark, Lauren Allman

Dreamline Pathways™: From Classroom Engagement to Career Achievement showcases an equity-driven model that connects students to STEM and health careers through innovative learning experiences and long-term support. Participants will learn how Dreamline Pathways™ provides classroom kits for younger scholars, free online health-focused STEM lesson plans, and VR tools that bring science to life. The program also shares the immersive campus experiences, sustained mentorship, and pre- and post-college support that guide students through secondary education and beyond. This workshop highlights strategies that strengthen STEM identity, foster career-connected learning, and build an inclusive pathway that transforms curiosity into career success.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how Dreamline Pathways™ uses classroom kits, free STEM resources, VR, immersive experiences, and mentorship to build inclusive pathways that guide students from early engagement through college and into STEM careers.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie McGrew

Effective advocacy requires not just passion, but also preparation and skill. This interactive session will equip science education leaders with the tools and confidence to advocate for STEM priorities at every level of government. Participants will learn techniques for crafting compelling messages, building coalitions, and sustaining advocacy campaigns over time. The session will include role-play scenarios and resources to help leaders become strong, informed advocates for science education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Federal STEM policy is increasingly tied to national priorities like AI and workforce development—knowing how to align your message with these themes is essential for effective advocacy.

SPEAKERS:
James Brown

West Chicago Community HS Science has transformed its program to better serve a diverse student body by offering purposeful courses and student-centric classrooms. These changes are driven by three tenets that shape culture, instruction, and curriculum: create a place students want to be, make every kid's brain “hurt” daily, and ensure all learners think, act, and speak like a scientist. In 12 years, enrollment rose from 82% to 89%. During this time, Honors/AP/Dual Credit participation grew 8%, with Latino representation nearly doubling. Additions also included the creation of healthcare career pathways. Instruction shifted to inquiry, problem-solving, and discourse. The improved program at West Chicago Community HS demonstrates how a clear vision, intentional design, and commitment to student-centered learning can create dynamic science experiences for all. Participants will leave with a roadmap, reflective tools, and strategies to drive change in their own classroom or department.

TAKEAWAYS:
West Chicago HS Science models transformation by purposefully changing climate and courses. Driven by 3 tenets: build a place where students want to be, make students’ brains “hurt” & think like scientists. The result: enrollment & advanced courses increased as Latino participation nearly doubled.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Albright

When we tackle science-based topics like climate change and vaccine hesitancy with our students, we try to counter misconceptions which may have been produced by online disinformation or statements by persons in the news such as politicians. We can often use teacher-sense to tell us something isn’t right but how can we develop this intuition in our students? This is what we aim for in the InSECT course. We propose going beyond simple markers like .edu URLs and instead focusing on the hallmarks of reporting and communicating science that are consistent with the values of science itself. The institution of science is based on scientists’ unrelenting focus on seeking the truth about the natural world and reporting their findings honestly and with integrity. Join us as we use the NGSS Matrix of Connections to the Nature of Science to show how we can help our students to distinguish authoritative science communication from messages that are mistaken or even downright dishonest.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will engage with InSECT, our approaches to learning science, and leave with ways to help students discern whether or not an information source aligns with the values of science, using the NGSS Nature of Science connections.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Zodda

How can teacher leaders expand their influence beyond the classroom? This session introduces Social Network Theory (SNT) as a framework for understanding and strengthening STEM leadership through the principles of centrality, brokerage, and tie strength. Participants will apply these concepts by sketching quick maps of their personal and professional STEM networks and exploring examples from the New Mexico STEM Friends Network. The session demonstrates how mapping networks can reveal strengths and gaps, offering digital tools such as QR-linked Padlet boards for sharing and reflection. Attendees will leave with strategies to expand and activate their networks to strengthen collaboration and build a more connected STEM ecosystem.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discover how applying Social Network Theory helps teacher leaders map, activate, and expand professional connections—strengthening collaboration, influence, and equity across the STEM ecosystem.

SPEAKERS:
Deena Gould, Laura DeBusk, Valerie Scott, Daniel Delgado

Come meet the NSTA Director and members of the Research Committee! The NSTA Research Division focuses on the systematic study of how people learn science, including investigations into teaching methods, curriculum design, student understanding of scientific concepts, and factors that influence science learning, with the goal of improving science education practices and student outcomes across various levels of learning. The NSTA Research Committee helps keep members updated on the latest research in science education through quarterly blog posts and NSTA’s Research listserv. Learn how the committee can support you, discover helpful NSTA research-related tools and resources, and connect with other researchers and educators to strengthen connections between research and practice. The committee hopes to learn how we can better serve NSTA members, so feel free to share your ideas with us in this interactive session.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants in this session will meet the NSTA Research Committee and find out how to connect with them in their work to support researchers & educators, expand access to the latest research, and strengthen the connections between research and practice.

SPEAKERS:
Helene McLaughlin, Shannon Smith, Debi Hanuscin

Unfortunately, public health measures taken during the pandemic and post-pandemic years have engendered widespread political and public hostility. This workshop will explore how effective Biology education can counteract these trends by promoting student understanding of disease mechanisms and of the scientific tools available to safeguard human health. Every crisis brings opportunity, and behind the challenges we face as science educators is a looming opportunity to engage our students in some of the most important questions that affect their lives. Even our youngest students are acutely aware of the ways in which the Covid pandemic has impacted their lives, and this awareness provides a genuine opportunity to engage students with the scientific process. The ways in which diseases such as cholera, smallpox, the flu, and Covid affect the human body will be explored in light of recent research. The science of specific countermeasures for each will be review

TAKEAWAYS:
The application of core biological principles to the challenge of disease presents a unique opportunity to engage students with topics of interest that are deeply relevant to their everyday lives. As a result, they can be used to enhance student interest and teaching effectiveness.

SPEAKERS:
Kenneth Miller

The physical spaces we use for teaching science play an important role in student learning experiences. While not every teacher has complete control over their physical classroom, it is important to consider possible systems to better address the students' needs. In this session, participants will analyze sample images and videos of classrooms through the lens of creating a welcoming, inclusive and accessible space for all students. Participants will reflect on their own spaces and discuss what they notice about the sample classrooms. After discussing different structures and strategies used for learning science, participants will share possible changes they can make to their own spaces. Teachers of all levels and amounts of experience are encouraged to come to this interactive discussion. The images and videos shared in these sessions are collected from science teachers from various settings (e.g, public, private, urban, rural, etc) across the nation.

TAKEAWAYS:
By considering student needs and inclusive practice, teachers can arrange their science classrooms to promote student independence and strengthen class community. Building students’ science confidence and motivation can have a positive impact on their later education and futures.

SPEAKERS:
Bree Barnett Dreyfuss

Effective climate education is more than teaching environmental science – it is about transdisciplinary learning that is coupled with meaningful, real-world climate action. Join us as we share recently-launched tools that support this vision! This session will (1) introduce Action-Oriented Pedagogies (AOP; Weinberg et al., 2024), which position students to contribute to culturally- and locally-relevant climate solutions using content knowledge and science and engineering skills; (2) navigate a website created by the Empowering Youth Climate Action research team, which can be leveraged to make climate topics and data more accessible to teachers and students; and (3) explore examples from real classrooms featuring the use of AOP and digital climate learning resources. In a time of prevalent climate denial and misinformation, effective climate education is critical. Attend this session and come away with tangible resources and insights for supporting climate action in your classroom!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be introduced to Action-Oriented Pedagogies and gain access to recently-launched digital resources that support the bridging of students’ academic learning and skills development with real-world climate action to bring about more just and sustainable futures.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Jordan, Brianne Loya, Sarah Suloff

Join a first-year educator as he shares his experience rooting his science teaching in culturally sustaining pedagogy. More than ever, in an anti-science world, marginalized students deserve access to educational spaces where they can learn while feeling safe, seen, and embraced. Every student possesses wisdom which extends beyond the classroom, yet they are given limited opportunities to demonstrate their unique funds of knowledge. Through reflecting upon anecdotal evidence, examining student work, and dissecting concrete examples of culturally sustaining pedagogy, learn how multiple levels of students’ culture can be embraced to increase student engagement, discourse, and mastery learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will have an introductory understanding of culturally sustaining pedagogy and the opportunities it can create in STEM learning environments.

SPEAKERS:
Bryant Rivera Cortez

Securing funding is one of the biggest challenges facing STEM educators and program leaders. This session introduces a practical, step-by-step framework designed to help participants write competitive, persuasive, and sustainable grant proposals. Attendees will explore strategies for aligning proposals with funder priorities, presenting compelling data, creating realistic budgets, and planning for long-term program impact. The session emphasizes accessibility, helping small or under-resourced organizations compete successfully for funding while ultimately expanding STEM opportunities for diverse learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to design competitive STEM grant proposals that align with funder priorities while embedding sustainability strategies to ensure long-term program impact beyond initial funding.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Hann, Lisa Fellers, Kelli Evans, Jackson Dickman

AI is reshaping what it means to learn and create. This session introduces Human-AI Teaming, a bold approach to learning where students don’t just use AI, they collaborate and think with it. Discover how AI as partner and provocateur can expand agency, equity, and the future of learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Gain a visionary understanding of Human-AI Teaming as a framework for the future of learning. See how AI can expand inquiry, creativity, and belonging in classrooms. Leave inspired with a complete Teaming Tool-Kit and practical entry points for teaching about and with AI in your classroom.

SPEAKERS:
Greg Benedis-Grab

See how leaders can scale English Language Learner support in science through a train-the-trainer approach. Learn how coaching systems and AI (as a multiplier) help leaders build capacity, extend impact, and provide intentional instructional guidance across schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave confident in their ability to better support the science teachers they lead. They will gain three practical tools—rooted in a train-the-trainer model and strengthened by AI—that can be put to use immediately to improve instruction for multilingual learners.

SPEAKERS:
Matthew Christiansen

Inviting all Preservice Teachers and Instructors to learn about NSTA’s Preservice Teacher Chapters. Chapters support individuals entering the profession with leadership experiences, networking opportunities, and professional learning resources available at NSTA. The NSTA Preservice Teacher Chapter Program consists of two types of chapters: (1) The National Preservice Teacher Chapter and (2) The Local Preservice Teacher Chapters at Universities. In this session, NSTA staff will share concrete examples of leadership experiences, networking events, and professional learning resources available at NSTA to all preservice teachers of science, members and non-members of NSTA. Similarly, a current faculty advisor of a local chapter will talk about the benefits of student-led organizations. For those interested in starting their own chapter, the faculty advisor will share information about how to start, grow, and maintain a chapter at a university.

TAKEAWAYS:
Preservice teachers and potential faculty advisors walk-away informed about how to engage with NSTA opportunities and resources and with ideas about how to start, grow, and maintain their local preservice teacher chapter.

SPEAKERS:
Jim McDonald, Flavio Mendez

Come learn how federally funded science education research projects have made impacts on K-12 classrooms. Science teacher educators and education researchers will share examples of projects and the practical contributions they have made to teaching and learning. They will also describe the mechanisms for funding science education research, including details about recent changes, and share their perspectives about the ways shifting funding priorities for research may have downstream effects in the future. In an effort to bridge research to practice, the session will provide attendees with an opportunity to have a two-way dialogue around meaningful participation in funded projects and advocacy for funding that impacts science education.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees can expect to learn how funding for science research directly impacts teacher professional learning and classroom practice, and why it is important to advocate for funding priorities that include K-12 teaching and learning.

SPEAKERS:
Ashley Iveland, Troy Sadler, Ryan Summers, Debi Hanuscin, Hosun Kang

This session showcases how a rural New Mexico district reimagined its high school STEM internship program to expand equity, affirm cultural identity, and strengthen local career pathways. Through community partnerships, dual language programming, and student voice surveys, every 11th–12th grader now participates in a paid, real-world internship while younger students engage in exploratory placements that build confidence and career readiness. Students gain experience in robotics, agriculture, emergency medicine, and coding while celebrating linguistic and cultural heritage through senior capstones. Participants will explore replicable strategies that link STEM learning with community identity, including financial literacy supports, university partnerships, and family engagement structures that led to improved graduation outcomes and workforce readiness.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will discover how community partnerships, student voice, and culturally relevant design can create equitable, career-connected STEM pathways that honor identity, expand opportunity, and prepare students for future success.

SPEAKERS:
Deena Gould, Daniel Delgado

Collecting and analyzing data to inform decision-making is an important step in sustaining broad and effective implementation of HQIM and the practices likely to improve each student’s learning. Join BSCS to dig into one district’s efforts to enact and monitor a curriculum implementation plan.

TAKEAWAYS:
One important step in sustainability of teacher and leader practices that are likely to improve the learning of each student is to collect and analyze implementation data to inform decision-making.

SPEAKERS:
Jenine Cotton-Proby

Participants will take part in a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience co-created by university educators, Piscataway citizens, classroom teachers, informal educators, and NOAA. This collaborative curriculum weaves Indigenous knowledge systems with Western science, modeling inclusive, place-based approaches to K–12 science education. Guided by the principle of Two-Eyed Seeing (Marshall, 2004), viewing the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and Western science, the framework highlights the importance of representation and local environmental phenomena in learning. Through hands-on activities, participants will examine how ecocentric relationships with the natural world can foster conservation, sustainability, and stewardship. Centered on keystone species of the Chesapeake Bay, and especially the diamondback terrapin, the unit invites learners to connect ecology, culture, and care for future generations while advancing the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore an inquiry-based environmental science curriculum on the Chesapeake Watershed and Diamondback Terrapins. They will leave the session with a usable pluralistic framework that integrates Indigenous knowledge with Western science to enrich science learning.

SPEAKERS:
Angela Stoltz

In today’s classrooms, educators are navigating more than lesson plans and labs- their work and well-being is impacted by headlines, legislation, and public narratives that directly influence what and how they teach. This Speed Share explores insights from current research on how media, policy, and law intersect to impact educators’ professional decision-making, confidence, and autonomy, with a focus on science education. Drawing from dissertation findings, this session will highlight real examples of how teachers interpret and respond to external pressures, from state-level mandates to national media debates about education. Attendees will reflect on how these forces shape classroom culture and student learning, and discuss strategies for maintaining academic integrity, supporting inquiry, and fostering inclusive, evidence-based instruction amid changing political climates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a concise digital resource (via QR code) summarizing key findings and offering reflection questions for professional learning communities or department discussions.

SPEAKERS:
Cassie Herndon

Presenters from a researcher-practitioner partnership will describe a regional citizen science network of K-12 researchers from 30 Sonoran Desert schools. Students on each campus build, plant, collect and analyze data about garden micro-environments and plant growth under two conditions: one with and one without solar panels. Students and teachers build relationships across campuses and with other stakeholders to generate regional knowledge while creating value for their local communities. Students share their data and lab reports through a virtual platform and during online and in-person conferences. Attendees will explore strategies for using CODAP to perform data moves, conduct analysis, generate visualizations, and make sense of data on a large student-produced dataset from one of the participating schools. Attendees will reflect on various ways to couple data moves with digital literacy skills to support students in place-based science inquiry.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how K–12 teachers and students build data science literacy while promoting sustainability through solar-powered school gardens. Using CODAP, a free web-based analysis tool, attendees will perform data moves on student-generated datasets drawn from solar-enhanced garden projects.

SPEAKERS:
Michelle Jordan, Brianne Loya, Carlos Meza-Torres

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” As Einstein expressed, questioning is a meaningful habit that, when practiced continually, can lead to lifelong learning. How can we support students to hone this essential skill for science learning in the classroom and beyond? Discover the Question Formulation Technique, an effective, easy-to-use strategy that teaches students to formulate, refine, and use their own questions to investigate phenomena, design labs, conduct science research and more. The session will first explore research on the importance of questions for learning. Next, participants will actively experience the QFT for themselves, just as it would be facilitated with students. Third, participants will examine diverse classroom examples from secondary science teachers. Participants will leave ready to immediately apply the strategy in their own settings to support science objectives and build students' agency as learners.

TAKEAWAYS:
Fuel students’ passion to become future scientists with the Question Formulation Technique. Actively experience this simple yet effective tool for teaching students to formulate and refine their own questions for use in student-driven labs, research, and phenomena-based learning.

SPEAKERS:
Katy Connolly, Claire Sampson

Representation in STEAM is a series of guest speaker sessions where STEAM professionals visit classrooms to educate students, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups, about their careers in science. The series aims to advocate for students of all backgrounds to consider careers in science and engineering. Students are more likely to envision themselves joining the STEAM field when they have exposure to a variety of STEAM careers from professionals who also share common backgrounds as the students. The session will discuss how a small Title I school was able to form partnerships with STEAM professionals, ranging from former astronauts to engineers from the nation’s top corporations, to provide expanded learning opportunities for students. The session will also cover how teachers, coordinators, and admins can potentially develop community partnerships to bring the series to their own schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about the logistics of developing a STEAM advocacy series. They will be introduced to various approaches that can foster strong partnerships with STEAM professionals in their communities based on real-life experience from a middle school STEAM coordinator and principal.

SPEAKERS:
James Choe, Sarah Kim

Attendees will explore tools to help students see themselves as engaged citizens who can address environmental and health issues in their communities. We will use primary sources from key moments in U.S. history to learn how scientists, researchers and members of the public made a difference in an environment- or health-related issue. Examples will be taken from high-quality, trusted organizations like PBS, Library of Congress and National Archives. We will split participants into groups so they can examine these documents as part of a warm-up activity. We will then use civic-based tools in which participants can learn to problem-solve and invent solutions to health and environmental issues they care about.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to examine primary sources to identify environmental and health issues where they live and the role of civic and invention education in creating and sharing solutions.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Osborn, Victoria Pasquantonio

Since 1998, the Project Approach has been a method of STEM learning, independent/small group investigation of child-led learning that takes place over a period of weeks. Children ask the questions, and do the investigations. Adults help guide their learning. Leaders who “get it” often struggle to get teaching staff to move out of their comfort zone and into child-led investigations. Yet NY and other states standards state “Planning and carrying out investigations to answer questions or test solutions to problems in PK–2 builds on prior experiences and progresses to simple investigations, based on fair tests, which provide data to support explanations or design solutions.” And “With guidance, plan and conduct an investigation in collaboration with peers.” With encouragement, guidance, and small steps, staff can make significant changes in their practices. Some successes will be shared, and participants will share their success and challenges and plan to advocate for these changes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Leaders can be change agents to help reluctant early childhood staff go from teacher led "lessons" to inquiry that includes children at their own levels and interests and then advocate for this learning.

SPEAKERS:
Ellen Cogan

Air quality data can be used as an entry point to data collection and analysis, citizen science activism, and phenomena-based learning. By providing air quality monitors and professional development to both science and social studies teachers, we have witnessed growth in pedagogical content knowledge and civic action taking pedagogies among teachers. Yet more powerful is the work the students create when presented with personally meaningful data that their school’s air quality monitor produces. This presentation will demonstrate how to use real-time air quality data in the science classroom and even link it to health and wellness data and environmental changes. A central focus of the workshop will be different pedagogical techniques and assessments for students using air quality data including research projects, public service announcements, and cross curricular activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
The importance of personally meaningful data as a method of student engagement, motivation, and civic action taking.

SPEAKERS:
Stephen Farenga, Salvatore Garofalo

Action-Oriented Pedagogies (AOP; Weinberg et al., 2024) is an innovative framework that supports educators in moving beyond knowledge-centered student outcomes, towards more participatory and action-focused teaching and learning. Join us as we dive into AOP and workshop ways to couple student STEM learning with real-world work that truly matters to them. This session explores the key elements of AOP: Imagining Preferred Futures, Planning for Co-Produced Impact, Taking Agentic Action, and Leaving a Legacy. Participants will collectively discuss how to incorporate these elements into their unique teaching contexts, with guidance and examples from practicing educators who use AOP in their own classrooms to foster locally-relevant connections to content, develop students’ transferable science and engineering skills, and amplify student voice in their communities. Participants will leave with tangible strategies, tools, and insights to support their own students’ agency and action.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain a foundational understanding of Action-Oriented Pedagogies and tools, insights into how they can be used to support community-based student action and amplify student voice, and tangible ways in which they might incorporate the framework into their own learning spaces.

SPEAKERS:
Brianne Loya, Janet Ankrum, Sarah Suloff

This talk will identify the key motivations and tactics of the current war on science and discuss the role that science teachers can play in preparing students for rhetoric in the public sphere. Hofer & Sinatra (2023, Science Denial) and Orsekes & Conway (2010, Merchants of Doubt) document the people involved in undermining the public’s faith in science and how they skew research findings and make up stories about scientists to mute scientific criticism of their financial investments. Science teachers play a key role in helping students understand how the methods and practices of science ensure that science eventually comes to accurate conclusions. We identify the features of a science class that can prepare students to see through the science denier’s claims and understand the unique value of science. We will share lessons on debunking pseudoscience (e.g. flat earth) and junk science (climate change denial) that raise students’ awareness of false claims all around us.

TAKEAWAYS:
This talk will identify the motivations and tactics of the current war on science and discuss the role that science teachers can play in preparing students to counter the misinformation. We identify how to help students understand the resiliency of scientific practices and to debunk specious claims.

SPEAKERS:
Virginia (Gini) Oberholzer Vandergon, Brian Foley

The Midwest STEM Alliance for Rural Elementary Science is a newly-funded NSF project that spans across Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas with the goal of fostering a regional community of practice (CoP) for rural elementary STEM teachers. We will detail our approach to building relationships and facilitating professional learning among rural elementary teachers, university faculty, and state education leaders. Attendees will learn how we're promoting meaningful and responsive sensemaking experiences by prioritizing a multiple literacies approach and how we're preparing our Corps members to become professional learning providers for their peers. We'll highlight the results of our Rural Elementary Science Needs Assessment that we are using to guide the development of professional learning opportunities for teachers. We will explain how our virtual and in-person meetings are designed to create a strong, dynamic, and sustainable community despite the vast geographic distances. The presentation w

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn practical strategies for building and sustaining a collaborative community of practice to support teacher leaders in rural and geographically isolated settings.

SPEAKERS:
Selin Akgun, Gillian Roehrig, Imogen Herrick, Dana Atwood-Blaine

The American educational system has made great strides toward increasing the representation of first-generation students in STEM. However, fewer initiatives have focused on supporting first-generation students who go on to become STEM faculty themselves. These first-generation faculty (FGF) are the linchpins of first-generation programming and bring irreplaceable experiential knowledge to the profession. Even so, FGF also face unique challenges, and many find themselves feeling out-of-place at various points in their academic careers. In this presentation, an FGF neuroscientist turned university administrator will highlight the lived experiences of FGF and suggest actions that administrators and other faculty leaders can take to foster the success of FGF at all levels of the profession.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will hear the stories of first-generation students who have gone on to become STEM faculty themselves and will learn practical strategies to support the success of this unique group of educators.

SPEAKERS:
Natalie Ceballos

Discover how student-driven, community-based climate projects can transform concern into action. This session highlights interdisciplinary strategies that promote systems thinking, reduce eco-anxiety, and foster collective, meaningful impact. Through case studies, participants will explore how students use claim–evidence–reasoning and real data to design tangible solutions—ranging from climate action plans to partnerships with municipalities and local organizations. Learn how teacher teams across grade levels and content areas can guide youth to connect global issues to local contexts, build empathy, and create sustainable change that benefits schools and communities alike.

TAKEAWAYS:
Implement project-based learning frameworks that promote systems thinking and community engagement around local climate challenges and guide students in using data, research, and claim–evidence–reasoning to create tangible action plans.

SPEAKERS:
Edward Cohen

Too often, minority students are sitting on the sidelines of STEM—watching others play the game they were born to lead. This interactive workshop invites educators to reimagine their classrooms as inclusive STEM arenas where every student, especially those historically underrepresented, has the opportunity to participate, innovate, and win. Through culturally responsive teaching strategies, identity-affirming practices, and collaborative coaching, participants will explore how to dismantle barriers and elevate belonging. Grounded in both equity and advocacy, this session empowers educators to become active change agents—ensuring that students of color don’t just enter the game, but redefine how it’s played.

TAKEAWAYS:
Every student deserves a chance to play—and win—in STEM. With the right coaching, support, and access, minority students don’t just join the game—they change it.

SPEAKERS:
Sierra Graves

The Escondido Union School District Science Field Work Consortium gives TK–8 students access to diverse local science experiences at no cost to families. Driven by 7 community partners, programs build on science understanding, conservation efforts and challenge students to advocate for themselves and the world around them. The district codesigns NGSS aligned curriculum including 3-8 grades with Project Based Learning units and field trips. This consortium highlights district leadership in advancing equitable science learning. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has championed the 6th grade program for over 6 years. The Herd Heroes program was codeveloped from the ground up in a truly collaborative effort between EUSD and SDZSP education teams by designing PBL units that integrate classroom and on site lessons where students advocate for human impact on a local and global scale. This partnership is one piece of a larger puzzle that demonstrates the success of district community collaboration.

TAKEAWAYS:
EUSD provides a lens of their students' needs and collaboratively creates experiences with community partners who bring expertise and passion for their fields. Coming together to create programs with equitable access that celebrates science experiences at every grade level for every type of learner.

SPEAKERS:
Sonja Jaramillo, Kristen Wrisley

For over a decade, my students regularly commented on my presence in my room, often saying I was "so chill" - whether about my late work policies, grading scales, or discussing difficult concepts. That calm presence was not accidental; it was the result of cultivating a STEM mindset, within a STEM environment, that embraced curiosity, resilience, and joy in the face of challenges. These challenges were not limited to classroom experiences, but also were generated by endless noise from national and local politics, local school board policies, and other stakeholders. In this session, participants will explore how adopting a STEM mindset and atmosphere can reduce stress, strengthen teacher well-being, and create classrooms where both educators and students thrive.

TAKEAWAYS:
Understand how adopting a STEM mindset supports teacher well-being and reduces stress.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Stawiery

Join a first-year educator as he shares his experience rooting his science teaching in culturally sustaining pedagogy. More than ever, in an anti-science world, marginalized students deserve access to educational spaces where they can learn while feeling safe, seen, and embraced. Every student possesses wisdom which extends beyond the classroom, yet they are given limited opportunities to demonstrate their unique funds of knowledge. Through reflecting upon anecdotal evidence, examining student work, and dissecting concrete examples of culturally sustaining pedagogy, learn how multiple levels of students’ culture can be embraced to increase student engagement, discourse, and mastery learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will have an introductory understanding of culturally sustaining pedagogy and the opportunities it can create in STEM learning environments.

SPEAKERS:
Bryant Rivera Cortez

This interactive simulation experience challenges participants to explore how their local STEM ecosystem can be intentionally leveraged to address real community and education challenges. Rather than viewing STEM initiatives as isolated programs, this session helps educators and leaders see their region as a connected system of schools, industry, higher education, nonprofits, and community assets.

TAKEAWAYS:
By the end of the experience, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to activate their STEM ecosystem, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and apply the “ecosystem equation” to drive meaningful, sustainable change.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Short

Join us for an engaging introduction to a new digital platform designed to bring safety science into undergraduate chemistry and engineering education. Developed by the Institute of Research Experiences and Education at UL Research Institutes, this innovative resource helps students explore real-world applications of safety science through case studies. Tailored for integration into existing coursework, the platform supports instructors in fostering critical thinking around consumer safety, risk analysis, and responsible product development practices. Attendees will gain insight into the platform’s features, pedagogical alignment, and opportunities for classroom implementation. Discover how this tool empowers the next generation of scientists to prioritize safety in their academic and professional pursuits.

TAKEAWAYS:
Undergraduate chemistry, physical science, and engineering instructors will be introduced to a new digital platform that seamlessly integrates safety science into coursework, equipping students with essential knowledge and skills to prioritize safety in scientific practice and consumer product use.

SPEAKERS:
Bethany King Wilkes, UrLeaka Newsome

In the fast-paced world of STEM education, teachers often give so much of themselves to their students and content that their own sense of purpose and well-being can be overlooked. This interactive 30 minute session offers participants an opportunity for a mindful pause, a chance to recharge, reflect, and reconnect with why we chose this profession. By engaging in guided mindfulness, affirmations, and reflective letter writing, participants will reflect on identity, purpose, and legacy as educators. Participants will be encouraged to explore questions such as: How do I define myself as a teacher? How do I want my students to see me? What impact do I hope to leave behind? Join us for a “YOU” centered time where you will leave with renewed energy, practical reflection tools, and a clearer sense of identity that reignites your love for teaching and strengthens your impact in STEM classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with renewed energy, practical reflection tools, and a deeper sense of identity that empowers them to thrive in STEM classrooms and beyond.

SPEAKERS:
Suzelene Pooler

This session explores how translanguaging pedagogy can disrupt English-only norms and reimagine what it means to teach and learn science in linguistically diverse classrooms. Building on García and Kleyn’s (2016) translanguaging framework and González-Howard’s (2024) Language for Science perspective, this study examines how a “monolingual” science teacher can intentionally support borderless language practices that affirm students’ identities and ways of knowing. By expanding what counts as legitimate language in science, this session invites educators to challenge English language hegemony and embrace justice-centered approaches that empower both multilingual and “monolingual” teachers to create inclusive learning environments. Participants will engage with concrete examples of classroom interactions and teacher moves that encourage translanguaging in science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Explore translanguaging science practices that challenge English-only norms and empower multilingual and “monolingual” teachers alike.

SPEAKERS:
Marc Ortiz, Lisa Archuleta

Attendees will learn results from a study that assesses students’ K-12 STEM backgrounds, student learning, and confidence development. The study surveys students in a new U.S. Department of Labor grant funded experiential apprenticeship program in construction management. The program was recently launched by a major university as an alternative to post-secondary programs which are often inaccessible to underserved groups due to costs and competitive admissions. Attendees will be introduced to the intensive 8-week program that integrates the fundamentals of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) with hands-on, real-world activities to provide the foundational knowledge for construction management careers in the AEC industry and comply with industry educational and apprenticeship accreditation standards. Attendees will learn how the program scaffolds student engagement by involving industry leaders in teaching, field trips, career fairs, student interviews and internships.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will discover how an innovative 8-week hands-on multidiscipline real-world training and internship program enhances STEM learning, confidence and readiness for construction management careers for the underserved in the AEC industry.

SPEAKERS:
John Montalvo

Discover how food—a universally engaging topic—can be a powerful lens for teaching science. This session introduces educators to Pilot Light’s newly revised Food Education Standards (FES) and their connection to core science practices. Participants will explore how food systems, nutrition, and sustainability naturally align with NGSS crosscutting concepts such as systems thinking, cause and effect, and energy flow. Through case studies drawn from real classrooms across the country, attendees will see how integrating the FES can deepen inquiry, promote real-world relevance, and strengthen students’ scientific literacy. Join us to experience how food can make science more meaningful, equitable, and connected to students’ daily lives—fueling curiosity from the classroom to the cafeteria.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to integrate Pilot Light’s Food Education Standards with science instruction, using food systems and nutrition to deepen inquiry, connect NGSS concepts to real life, and engage young children in impactful, culturally relevant, and hands-on scientific learning.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

Join us and navigate together through the NSTA Website and discover all the different types of digital resources available to you to enhance your professional learning. Participants will become knowledgeable about their member benefits, the plethora of digital resources available on NSTA’s website, about the live events, and professional learning community that can help them enhance their content knowledge and improve their teaching practice. Numerous live events are offered to educators of science every month to enhance and extend their content and pedagogical knowledge - most of them free to NSTA members. Participants will also learn how to engage with other educators of science and grow their network of like-minded individuals. We will feature NSTA’s My Library, Forums and Profile professional learning tools. NSTA staff will be available to answer questions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will become knowledgeable about their NSTA member benefits, the plethora of digital resources available on NSTA’s website, about the live events, and professional learning community that can help them enhance their knowledge and improve their teaching practice.

SPEAKERS:
Lee Ann Monteiro, Flavio Mendez

In White Plains, STEM education doesn’t end when the bell rings—it continues through the stories we share. The WP STEM Newsletter is a powerful communication tool that connects families, educators, and the broader community to the “wow” factor of science, math, and technology. This presentation will explore how a simple newsletter can become a strategic leadership tool to advance STEM education at the classroom, school, and district levels. Attendees will learn how to spotlight student achievements, promote district initiatives, and secure ongoing support and funding by showcasing authentic learning moments. We'll discuss practical strategies for content creation, student involvement, and aligning messaging with district goals. Participants will leave with templates, planning tools, and inspiration to launch or enhance their own STEM communications—empowering them to lead beyond the classroom and build a culture of celebration, connection, and innovation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover how a STEM newsletter can be a powerful leadership tool to connect communities, celebrate student success, and sustain innovation—advancing STEM education beyond the classroom. Learn how to build a high-functioning vertical team of STEM leaders to sustain the project.

SPEAKERS:
Kimberly Fleming, Susannah Waksberg

Motivating students can be challenging, especially with so many distractions from the curriculum. At the same time, students are usually left out of the curriculum development process entirely. How can students and educators be authentic partners in designing learning experiences that make them willingly take ownership of their learning? How can educator expertise (in content and pedagogy) be combined with student expertise (in their backgrounds, interests, and life and career aspirations)? What are the benefits and challenges of curriculum partnerships? Whether you have attempted such partnerships before or are curious about doing so, come to share, hear, discuss, and reflect on ideas for how students can be truly involved. You’ll leave with a list of considerations and strategies for student-educator curriculum partnerships.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will share and learn about successes and challenges of partnering with students on curriculum development and the good that can come of it.

SPEAKERS:
Nicholas Balisciano

As AI tools rapidly enter science classrooms, educators are placed in a unique situation: learn to adapt quickly to this exponentially evolving technology and consider its cybersecurity risks. This session focuses on the latter, highlighting the cybersecurity challenges associated with adopting AI in K-12 science education. Participants will explore real-world scenarios of data privacy, bias, and security threats, and discuss how to build student and teacher awareness of these risks. Attendees will leave with strategies and resources to promote responsible, safe, and equitable AI use in science teaching.

TAKEAWAYS:
Begin the development of an action plan for balancing the benefits of AI utilization with responsible and safe classroom practices.

SPEAKERS:
Anthony Stawiery

During this workshop, participants will learn about the Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California's TK–12 Schools, an equity-informed, data-driven approach that paints a landscape of progress towards sustainability, resiliency, and environmental literacy across all of California’s public school districts. We will explore how to use this groundbreaking dataset focused on school sustainability policies and initiatives with your students to drive agency towards change. Participants will experience activities and resources as part of a solutionary PLB framework to explore local environmental issues and learn about current mitigation solutions being implemented in school districts across the state. The session will end with resources to support your students with advocating for action in their communities in California and beyond.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how this real-world data set can support students to ask authentic questions, use computational thinking to determine problems, and empower students to advocate for positive change in their communities.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Watanabe

STEM is for everyone, so how can we help every student achieve STEM literacy? In this session, you will dismantle STEM hierarchies using place-based science and Universal Design for Learning. We’ll examine positionality, analyze a "low floor/high ceiling" lesson, share student work, and model best practices that support all students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with a toolkit of good-for-all practices and place-based strategies to make STEM accessible. You will gain a framework for reflecting on how you make instructional choices and practical methods to ensure your choices help every student succeed in rigorous inquiry.

SPEAKERS:
Whitney Aragaki, Christina Romero

Science teachers understand science as more than a collection of facts. The institution of science is based on scientists’ unrelenting focus on seeking the truth about the natural world and reporting their findings honestly and with integrity. We need to make this understanding explicit for our students and develop it as part of their appreciation of science as a necessary foundation for reliable information to make decisions about issues like climate change and vaccination. This is the InSECT approach. The NGSS statement on the Nature of Science emphasizes the need for students to understand the values of science and its ways of knowing about the world. In this session we will give examples from our teaching experience to illustrate how Nature of Science connections extend from our use of the Science & Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts in our own classrooms. Explicitly engaging these connections gives students a better appreciation for science and its role in society.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants, whether curriculum leaders or classroom teachers, will engage with InSECT, our approaches to learning science, and leave with ways to extend their current use of NGSS to develop an appreciation of the nature of science in their students.

SPEAKERS:
Eliza Varner

What does it mean to thrive as a STEM educator while bringing one’s full identity to the classroom? This interactive session draws on doctoral qualitative research with LGBTQ+ elementary educators to explore the intersections of identity, resilience, and well-being. Participants will engage with key themes from these stories—creativity, advocacy, risk, and belonging—and reflect on how identity impacts professional sustainability. Through a hands-on identity mapping activity, attendees will identify sources of stress and strength across their personal, professional, and STEM educator selves. The session will highlight strategies for reclaiming time, fostering resilience, and integrating identity-affirming practices into STEM teaching. Participants will leave with practical tools to support their own well-being and a renewed understanding of how honoring educator identity can revolutionize STEM classrooms and sustain the teaching profession.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how identity-conscious practices, grounded in LGBTQ+ educators’ stories, can strengthen teacher well-being in STEM. They will leave with reflective tools and strategies to sustain themselves while fostering belonging in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Jesse Wren

Incorporating and assessing the science and engineering practices into summative assessments can be a challenge for educators. This session will allow participants to dive into the difference between proficiency scales and rubrics. Using a hands-on, collaborative approach, participants will get the opportunity to use proficiency scales aligned to the science and engineering practices to create, review and revise assessments. They will be provided sample assessments, rubrics and proficiency scales. Upon completion, the participants will utilize tools to identify the rigor of the assessment they built to ensure deeper learning from their students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will build a summative assessment using a proficiency scale aligned to the science and engineering practices then identify the rigor of the assessment utilizing tools to ensure deeper learning.

SPEAKERS:
Leah Ward, Becky McKinney

Culture box is a hands-on interdisciplinary project that allows students to represent their cultural identity using science. Students will choose a country based on their ethnicity or family heritage. Students will research their traditions, language, clothing, food, celebrations, etc. The Culture Box is filled with a physical map of the student's country, personal artifacts, photographs, student-created games, and a Fact Sheet filled with information that represents students’ cultural background. The fact sheet consists of questions about the culture/country that are in alignment with the Middle School NGSS Earth and Space Science standards and Engineering Practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Culture box is a fun way to celebrate what makes each student unique through science. The purpose of the project is to give opportunities for students to celebrate their culture and celebrate the differences amongst their peers to build a positive and respectful learning community.

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Kim

Come learn about the elements of a successful leadership development program that has produced 2 national and 12 state presidents plus dozens of board and committee members in professional science associations in North Carolina. This session demonstrates how our program actively involves participants in learning experiences that are guided by the Framework and NGSS and focus on critical skills needed for leaders to flourish in leadership roles in any capacity and level. The program is designed for those wanting to improve their leadership skills and actively seeks variety of all types among its cohorts to help ensure diversity in future leadership in all areas. It draws applicants from classroom teachers, central offices, universities, informal science, and other venues with the need for leaders in STEM education. Participants will engage in a sample learning experience and subsequent discussion to how it applies to leaders. Handouts provided.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain an understanding of critical elements that form the basis of a successful leadership development program through participation in a learning experience and overview and discussion of the other elements.

SPEAKERS:
Brad Rhew, Pat Shane

Step into a classroom where students don’t just learn—they lead. This session explores Agency-Based Learning, a shift from compliance to curiosity that empowers learners as thinkers, creators, and partners. Through hands-on activities, you’ll co-create lessons, experience inquiry-driven EduProtocols, and explore tools like Snorkl and Learning Genie that amplify feedback and student voice. Discover how to move from “clicking” to critical thinking while aligning with the Portrait of a Graduate and building lifelong learning skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Walk away with practical strategies to shift from teacher-led to student-driven learning, using inquiry, co-creation, and tools like EduProtocols, Snorkl, and Learning Genie to amplify student voice, agency, and authentic critical thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Miramontes

As science educators, we know the challenge of ensuring every student—regardless of background, abilities, or needs—can engage with grade-level science content. In this session, we share strategies for building equitable classrooms where all students thrive. We highlight the importance of equity, showing that rigorous expectations remain possible with the right scaffolds. Practical ideas include honoring IEP accommodations, using checklists and graphic organizers, providing sentence starters, and offering extended time. We also address gifted learners, showing how inquiry projects, choice, and peer leadership can enrich their experience. A major theme is scaffolding through the gradual release model and peer-to-peer learning, with structured group roles that promote collaboration and deeper understanding. Real classroom examples make these strategies concrete and adaptable. We close with a focus on mindset: scaffolding, accommodations, and enrichment are not extras, but essential pract

TAKEAWAYS:
All students—whether with IEPs, advanced abilities, or diverse needs—deserve access to rigorous science. This session shares practical scaffolding, differentiation, and equity strategies so every learner can succeed, participate, and be inspired by science.

SPEAKERS:
Chelsea Lucas, Miranda Chavez