Discover the Health DataWell instructional materials, co-developed by HESI and NSTA, to address the lack of materials focused on public health. Research shows that high school is a key time in career awareness and preparation. These materials provide students with an opportunity to expand their understanding of health professions and to consider the roles of community members in promoting public health. In this session, you will hear from teachers who implemented the materials (Health Data Well Ambassadors) and gain practical strategies for connecting students to public health roles in their communities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave with practical strategies and resources to help students explore public health careers and understand the impact of community roles in promoting health.

SPEAKERS:
Malalai Sayedi, Lena Cosentino

Discover the Health DataWell instructional materials, co-developed by HESI and NSTA, to address the lack of materials focused on public health and data literacy. The materials provide opportunities for students to build data literacy by analyzing complex public health data, using statistics and computational models, and comparing sources to develop evidence-based explanations and solutions. In this session, you will hear from teachers who implemented the materials (Health Data Well Ambassadors) and gain practical strategies for utilizing complex public health data analysis tools with your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain practical strategies for implementing the Health DataWell instructional materials, focusing on using real-world data and data analysis tools to identify disparities in health outcomes.

SPEAKERS:
Robert Palmer, Jentry Yard, Crystal McDowell

Instructors using NSTA in lieu of a textbook (or as a supplement to a textbook) have students who create a library of resources, grow their network, and enhance their content and pedagogical knowledge as they complete their assignments. Instructors get a class landing page to manage the course, a private forum for asynchronous discussions, and an instructor's dashboard to monitor students' work. All instructors receive a free digital professional membership, and their students become members for a year or through graduation, depending on the price selected by the instructor. In this session, instructors talk about how they integrate NSTA in their courses. Come and listen to their stories and ask them questions. Find out the benefits that this opportunity provides you and your teacher candidates.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will meet and ask questions of instructors who are using NSTA resources, webinars, and online community in courses for preservice teachers of science. Participants will learn how others integrate NSTA in their courses and about the benefits of the program for easy implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez

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

In this session, participants will explore how daily questions can serve a dual purpose in the 8th grade science classroom: as formative assessments that provide quick insight into student understanding, and as social-emotional check-ins that open lines of communication and build stronger classroom connections. This session will highlight how a simple routine can foster both learning and belonging in the science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn practical strategies for designing daily questions that not only track academic growth but also support student well-being.

SPEAKERS:
Julianna Lipson

This presentation revisits what counts as real-world and relevant in the science classroom. The ubiquitous terms are often used to describe instruction that is both meaningful and leads to content learning outcomes. Yet, the chosen examples do not always resonate with students as intended. Attendees will consider factors that make learning relevant and how to situate real-world examples. We will start by asking whether Fat Bear Week in Alaska is relevant to students in any classroom. This example might not reach all students if they are neither interested in bears or geographically nearby. Planning strategies that peak the curiosity of students with varied interests and experiences to make real-world examples more relevant and meaningful for students will be shared. One strategy is to identify anchoring questions that connect at the local and personal level. Attendees will leave with tools to be intentional when selecting real-world examples to support student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn factors that make learning relevant and leverage tools like anchoring questions to help connect real-world examples in personally impactful ways for students. Small lesson planning moves can make learning more meaningful and lead to deeper content understanding.

SPEAKERS:
Takumi Sato, PhD

Many students, including those labeled at-risk, struggle to engage in the science classroom. The presenter will share proven strategies to engage these learners. These are applicable in any secondary science classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn easy to implement strategies that will engage reluctant learners in the science classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Nadene Klein

Learn more about this game-based method to introduce computational biology concepts in your life science classes. The comic book-style FILTERED puzzle games help students grasp the function of programs used to analyze DNA. Get your FREE teacher account and be ready to save the world!

TAKEAWAYS:
FILTERED: a story-driven digital learning platform for bioinformatics is an online module that introduces students to the biological concepts and logical thinking skills used in the field of bioinformatics and DNA analysis.

SPEAKERS:
Madelene Loftin

The Inquiry-Based STEM Game Development via Generative AI tool functions as an expert pedagogical system to address the complexity of rigorous, cross-disciplinary STEM curriculum design. Teachers input learning objectives, STEM knowledge units, and select an inquiry model (e.g., 6E, PBL). The GenAI analyzes the underlying STEM literacies, automatically generates dynamic, authentic problem scenarios for the game's plot, and integrates multimedia. The tool ensures high pedagogical fidelity, guiding students to perceive STEM concepts, attempt problem resolution, and understand the socio-cultural impact of science. Crucially, the system uses dynamic generation to alter gameplay upon each launch, maintaining student engagement and curiosity. A robust backend logs detailed learning outcomes, providing teachers with granular data for both formative and summative assessment, thereby elevating the quality and reach of inquiry-based STEM education.

TAKEAWAYS:
GenAI-driven game development enhances inquiry-based STEM by generating dynamic, cross-disciplinary scenarios. Teachers gain a tool for high pedagogical fidelity and granular assessment data, significantly boosting student engagement.

SPEAKERS:
Chi-Ruei Tsai

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

This Speed Sharing session highlights two free, ready-to-use NGSS-aligned units that bring climate and health science into grades 3–8 classrooms through storytelling, experiments, and case studies. In the elementary unit, students follow Mira as she investigates indoor air quality and proposes simple solutions. In the middle school unit, students analyze data and explore how climate-driven events like wildfires, flooding, and pesticide use affect indoor environments and human health. Both units end with a community-focused design challenge. Developed with university partners, the lessons integrate the three dimensions of NGSS, foster sensemaking, and build student action competence. They are modular, adaptable, and accessible to diverse learners. Teachers will leave with ready-to-use resources and strategies that make climate and health science engaging and relevant.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will discover free, ready-to-use, NGSS-aligned units for grades 3–8 that use storytelling, experiments, and case studies to connect climate science, indoor environments, and human health. These units empower students to ask questions, solve problems, and take action.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Link, PhD

Discover how the humble sticky note can transform your science classroom into a hub of curiosity, collaboration, and creativity! In this session, you’ll learn how printing directly on sticky notes opens up endless possibilities for student engagement and sensemaking. From building dynamic driving question boards that spark and sustain inquiry, to designing interactive word walls that evolve with student understanding, sticky notes offer flexible, hands-on ways to make learning visible. Explore strategies for providing personalized feedback, tracking progress with badge systems, organizing class calendars, and more—all with colorful squares of paper that can move, cluster, and adapt to student needs. Walk away with practical ideas, templates, and inspiration to harness the power of sticky notes to empower learners, foster ownership, and make science thinking stick!

TAKEAWAYS:
Unlock the hidden power of sticky notes! Learn how printing on them can transform your science classroom with driving question boards, word walls, feedback, badges, and calendars. Walk away with ready-to-use ideas to boost curiosity, engagement, and student ownership.

SPEAKERS:
Peter Kelly

As a middle level science teacher, I know that getting labs and activities completed within a class period and tracking science fair projects can be a challenge. Executive functioning (EF) skills are skills that are needed to “execute” or complete a task. EF research is based in neuroscience and cognitive learning. By incorporating several simple EF strategies into your science teaching practice, you can help all students develop these skills allowing more time for labs, instruction, projects, etc. and for learning science concepts. This session will look at time management regarding task initiation, pacing and tracking time. Techniques will be presented to practice with students on how to estimate how long each task will take (mental dress rehearsals), how to visualize the passage of the time available (nonverbal), and how to track progress for both short and long-term projects.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn about time management techniques for planning and using time, as well as a discussion of how to help students track their own time focused on activities in science classrooms such as laboratory, hands-on activities.

SPEAKERS:
Alison Seymour

In an effort to promote explanations of science phenomena in science classes, California State University Northridge holds an annual contest to see who can record the best explanation. The ExplanaJam contest is held at the end of the school year where teachers run a video contest in their class and submit the top videos to the university for judging. The contest provides a low stakes positive forum that reinforces best practices for constructing explanations and helps connect students to a larger community of science learners. For the last five years we have reviewed hundreds of videos and picked winner at different grade levels and awarded special prizes. We will discuss the advantages of this approach and recommendation for how people can run their own contest.

TAKEAWAYS:
The ExplanaJam contest provides prizes for explaining science that reinforces best practices and provides outstanding examples of what students can do.

SPEAKERS:
Brian Foley

Developing a future-focus for science education with emphasis of music and arts. Bridging out for cross-curriculum among various disciplines, however, focus upon STEM education. Utilizing the ODE State Science Standards, along with state standards from various content, as well as the connections to the Next Generation Science Standards. My proposal is for the audience of 6-12 general science educators. Educators from outside of the 6-12 parameter are always welcome to attend the proposed session. The information provided for the proposed session presentation is to help all STEM educators with the integration of music and arts into the STEM education and curriculum (STEAM). Empower and equip educators thinking outside of the bun to utilize music with the STEM curricula. Teachers will learn how to improve their critical thinking to achieve the talented and gifted students who may not be advanced in science, but advanced in arts and music.

TAKEAWAYS:
Empower and equip educators thinking outside of the bun to utilize music with the STEM curricula. There are digital programs the educators can utilize without costs to improve the connections of arts and music with STEM. Teachers will learn how to improve their critical thinking to STEAM TAG kids.

SPEAKERS:
John Davis III

Join Pilot Light Chefs to discover simple, high-impact strategies for connecting food education to science learning using Pilot Light’s newly revised Food Education Standards. Attendees will explore how food-based phenomena—like the chemical reactions behind baking bread or the physics of emulsions in salad dressing—can make NGSS concepts tangible and relevant. The Standards provide an easy-to-implement tool that engages students’ senses and curiosity while deepening understanding of scientific inquiry, sustainability, and real-world systems. Perfect for educators seeking a fresh, classroom-ready way to make science meaningful through the everyday lens of food.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a practical, ready-to-use strategy for connecting food experiences to core science concepts, helping students explore NGSS-aligned inquiry, chemical reactions, and systems thinking in an engaging, hands-on way.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Gottlieb

Practical, research-based strategies to help middle school students retain and apply science content knowledge. Participants will explore effective learning techniques adapted for NGSS-aligned classrooms. These approaches move students beyond memorization by fostering active sensemaking and deeper connections between concepts. Classroom-ready examples will highlight how formative checks, low-stakes quizzes, and collaborative discussions can build long-term retention and engagement. Grounded in equitable practices, these strategies ensure all learners have multiple entry points and opportunities to succeed. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use ideas that support middle school instruction while strengthening lifelong learning skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will take away ready-to-use strategies that move middle school learners beyond memorization, helping them make sense of science ideas and strengthen long-term learning.

SPEAKERS:
Karre Nevarez

Help students become savvy media consumers by inviting them to design and diagnose their own disinformation. Teams select an incredible science news story and pair it with two other bogus discoveries -- the class (and teacher!) try to guess which is real. Discussion after the game highlights the concrete ways we can be easily misled by plausible arguments, fake evidence, persuasive methods, and deceptive tactics. Optional extension: find real examples of science disinformation online or in social media that illustrate those strategies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Using a game format, students learn about deceptive and disinformation strategies in the science media.

SPEAKERS:
DOUGLAS ALLCHIN

This presentation will showcase three web-based educational simulations that demonstrate how AI can rapidly transform complex scientific concepts into interactive learning experiences. Using AI, these tools were created to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. The PCR & Gel Electrophoresis simulation allows students to virtually perform laboratory techniques often inaccessible due to equipment costs. The Lac Operon simulation provides hands-on exploration of gene regulation mechanisms that are typically only taught through static diagrams. The Psychology Chatbot enables clinical interview practice with realistic patient interactions impossible in traditional classroom settings. AI streamlined the creation of those simulations and help connect scientific principles to real-world applications.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will see how AI can rapidly create interactive simulations that help students get hands-on learning experiences in science.

SPEAKERS:
Louis Bru

TThe Paleobiology Database (PBD) is a public research database of paleontological data that is freely available to anyone. Students can use the PBD to gather data about fossils including locations and organismal ecology. The PBD Navigator can also be used to visualize fossil locations, create fossil maps and analyze patterns in the fossil record. These activities can be aligned with and support the science and engineering practices (SEP) including Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Constructing Explanation and Engaging in Argument from Evidence. Students can view the data through the lens of Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC’s) such as Patterns or Scale, Proportion and Quantity. An example in which the PBD was used as part of an Earth Sciences PBL (project based learning) will be presented and resources will be highlighted and shared.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about the Paleobiology Database (PBD) and how they can incorporate it into their science curriculum to support three-dimensional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Renee JiJi

The purpose of this session is to illustrate how game design can be used to provide a scaffold for differentiation in computer science projects. Participants will see how having students build games like tic-tac-toe or a night at the casino can provide multiple different levels of challenge for students. These games can create authentic opportunities for collaboration between students and peer-led coaching. The simplicity of these games and their innate fun factor will draw students in and provide a clear feedback loop that helps students understand how close they are to completion and foster higher motivation for completion. This session seeks to help attendees foster student success for students at various levels while also providing students with rigor and challenge at all levels.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to use game design as a way to provide differentiation in computer science projects.

SPEAKERS:
Maurice Telesford

Climate change is one of the most important scientific topics of our time—and students are eager to learn about it. SubjectToClimate is an innovative and free online platform that provides teachers with a suite of engaging and interactive climate change teaching resources and lesson plans that are aligned to NGSS standards. In this 10-minute presentation, our presenter will introduce SubjectToClimate's science resources and demonstrate how they can be used to enhance climate change education. We will walk through the platform's features, including lesson plans by teachers, news for students, teaching guides, and more. Attendees will leave this presentation suite of free resources they can immediately access to effectively teach climate change, no matter their grade level or subject. Join us to learn how SubjectToClimate can help you educate and inspire the next generation of climate leaders.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave this presentation suite of free resources they can immediately access to effectively teach climate change, no matter their grade level or subject.

SPEAKERS:
Benjamin Charles

In this session, we will share how we transitioned from a transactional to collaborative relationship with a local elementary school. Science Discovery is an outreach arm of the University of Colorado which serves communities across Colorado with STEM programming in many different educational contexts. As an organization, we strive to create relationships with the schools we serve. One such school initially requested programming that was developed for a broad audience. Through a sustained effort on both sides, this blossomed into an extremely rewarding collaborative relationship where Science Discovery and teachers met regularly to co-design and facilitate lessons and curriculum that can then be shared in broader contexts throughout the state of Colorado.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with action steps for deepening relationships with educational partners. In addition to seeing an example of this strategy succeed, they will leave with concrete examples of how to co-develop curricula to meet the needs of different educational shareholders.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Sieke

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

Science and engineering practices offer a clear framework for exploring phenomena and designing solutions, and we briefly highlight our strategies to include our Mexican American students in these investigations. We discuss: 1. supporting student communication through sentence starters, word banks, and vocabulary charts for asking questions and defining problems; 2. using 2D top-down and side drawings to develop and use models; 3. creating concept maps to organize investigations; 4. visualizing data through surveys with bar, line, and pie graphs to analyze results; 5. sharing findings through storytelling, product demonstrations, and peer presentations; and 6. navigating cultural and gender dynamics to foster productive roles in group work. During the Q&A, we invite our audience to share their strategies and supports for Mexican American students, and we share our resources and examples with our audience to help them apply these strategies in their own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore strategies to develop activities that enhance equity with science and engineering practices for Mexican American students and integrate these strategies into their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Cecilia Marin, Gabriela Ristaino, Karla Quintanilla Garza, Gustavo Perez, Andrew Kipp, Jahdaly Rios, Leanne Trevino, Samuel Rivera

Learning Assistant (LA) programs are a type of near-peer instructional support that has been implemented in many schools throughout the US. Research has shown that LAs decrease DFW rates, increase retention in STEM programs, and engage faculty in evidence-based pedagogies and educational research opportunities. This presentation focuses on qualitative analyses of the LA program at Azusa Pacific University (APU). The results include data from student focus groups and LA focus groups. Initial evidence suggests that the LA program helped students feel more comfortable in their STEM classes and increased general interest in STEM. There is also evidence that, for the LA, it is important there is a relationship of trust between themselves and their faculty, and themselves and the students. Further analysis will help to provide insights for how an LA program can be used to support an inclusive learning environment and influence the development of STEM identity in students across cultures

TAKEAWAYS:
According to Hazari's model for STEM-identity, a Learning Assistant program appears to increase the STEM identity of the Learning Assistants themselves, as well as for some of the students enrolled in the course using the LA.

SPEAKERS:
Karstin Knee, Elijah Roth

The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review of high impact review studies in STEM education. Systematic review was employed in order to reach this aim. Some inclusion and exclusion criteria were determined by the researchers to select the studies to be included or excluded in this systematic review. The determination of high impact review articles in STEM education was carried out in stages. As a result, 18 review articles were included in this systematic review. The articles were analyzed in terms of their number of authors, countries where the authors are located, publication year, number of studies reviewed, name of journal, SSCI status and topic. In order to ensure the reliability of the study, each article was analyzed by each researcher. The result of the study indicated that the vast majority of the journals in which high impact review articles related to STEM are published are well-established, respected, and have a long publication history.

TAKEAWAYS:
Examining these publications through systematic review and presenting their results will contribute to researchers interested in different disciplines such as science education, engineering education, teacher education and especially STEM education. Also, this study would be of interest to NSTA members.

SPEAKERS:
Yurdagul Bogar

The number of newly hired science teachers (NHSTs) is rising in US schools. This increase is often a result of many early career science teachers leaving the teaching profession because they do not feel adequately supported in their school/district. In this interactive workshop, we will engage in sensemaking with three sets of data that focus on NHSTs learning. The data will focus on (1) how NHSTs support their learning in school systems, (2) how NHSTs acquire instructional resources in a school (who provides the materials?), and (3) how out-of-field NHSTs are supported to cultivate their instructional knowledge and practices. After looking at each set of data, the group will discuss their interpretations and generate actionable steps that can be taken in a school/district. The goals of this workshop are to (1) develop empirically-based recommendations about supporting NHSTs, (2) be more aware of the simple steps that can support NHSTs, and (3) make research-to-practice connections.

TAKEAWAYS:
It matters how all NHSTs are supported in their schools. Among other areas, working in professional learning communities that discuss how to teach specific science lessons and guiding new teachers towards important professional learning opportunities are proactive ways colleagues can retain NHSTs.

SPEAKERS:
Julie Luft

Students become more engaged when they are given agency over their own learning. Allowing students to plan their own lab experiments is one such strategy. With guidance and parameters, teachers can support students through this process and they can learn standards, sensemaking, and the scientific method.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be given strategies and documents to support students in planning their own experiments.

SPEAKERS:
Nadene Klein

This is a model that starts from the basics of the OWL (observe, wonder, learn) large-group discussion strategy then moves onto new experiences that serve as the jumping off point for student-generated questions and investigations such as how to use in a competition like Science Olympiad, SECME, ExploraVision, etc. I first discovered the OWL chart at a NSTA conference presentation Picture Perfect Science in 2012. The authors demonstrated how three-column chart was used as a whole-group anchor chart throughout an inquiry lesson. The O represents what the student has Observed, the W what the student has Wondered, and the L what the student has Learned. This technique is a great process for finding and addressing misconceptions and holes in student learning to prepare them for the competition teams. The OWL model takes the place of the more traditional KWL strategy as it focuses on science and engineering practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
I’ll walk through how we scaffold the learning process, guide from curiosity to specialization, and foster a culture of collaboration and discovery. Whether you're starting a club or looking to revitalize one, this session will offer strategies to make STEM competitions for every learner to thrive.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Coy

Science educators can lead transformative, interdisciplinary learning by building strategic partnerships that expand STEM opportunities for students. This session shares a practical framework for initiating collaborations with CTE programs, design pathways, and community or industry partners to create NGSS-aligned projects that connect science learning to real-world applications. Drawing from a pilot in an urban high school, we’ll explore how science teachers launched collaborative projects that integrated engineering, design, and technology while remaining grounded in core science ideas and three-dimensional learning. These partnerships engaged students in authentic problem-solving and revealed pathways into STEM careers — from technical roles to leadership positions. Attendees will leave with a simple, actionable partnership planning tool and steps to initiate science-centered collaboration in their own schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn a practical framework for initiating science-centered partnerships with CTE, design, and community organizations and leave with actionable tools to launch interdisciplinary, NGSS-aligned projects that expand STEM opportunities for students.

SPEAKERS:
Maafi Cook

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

Teach Engineering is a free, online collection of K–12 curricular STEM resources focused on integrating engineering into science learning. The collection includes more than 1,900 original lessons and activities created by educators, classroom-tested nationwide, and aligned with NGSS, Common Core, State Standards, and ITEEA. These resources use engineering to connect science and math through inquiry-based, real-world activities relevant to today’s youth. Freely available at TeachEngineering.org, the collection also features instructional “how-to” videos and professional development tools for teachers. In this session, we will present the Teach Engineering digital collection, highlight its unique features, and demonstrate how educators can easily integrate these resources into their classrooms to spark student engagement and deepen STEM learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Educators will discover Teach Engineering as a free, comprehensive collection of high-quality STEM resources—classroom-tested, peer-reviewed, and ready to use—to bring engineering and science to life through hands-on learning and sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
Ellen Sukovich

How do we keep wonder alive in elementary science instruction? This session introduces the Curiosity Cycle, a simple yet powerful four-phase framework that supports inquiry-based, student-centered learning aligned with NGSS. Built around the phases of Provocation, Questioning, Exploration, and Reflection, the Curiosity Cycle offers concrete strategies and tech tools—such as digital Wonder Walls, visual modeling apps, and journaling platforms—that can be immediately used in the classroom. This approach is designed to deepen conceptual understanding, boost student engagement, and foster inclusive participation across diverse learning environments. Attendees will walk away with a digital infographic, sample prompts, and tips for integrating the cycle into both pre-service and in-service teaching contexts. Let curiosity lead the way in your science instruction!

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement the Curiosity Cycle to spark student-driven inquiry in science classrooms using four clear phases and tech-integrated strategies that support equity, engagement, and conceptual growth.

SPEAKERS:
Gurupriya Ramanathan, Anne Tapp Jaksa

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

What is safety science, and why does it matter for today’s classrooms? This speed session introduces the Institute for Research Experiences & Education at UL Research Institutes, a nonprofit research organization advancing safety science in areas such as fire, batteries, and sustainability. We will share how our team translates cutting-edge research into free, classroom-ready STEM resources designed for teachers and other educators. Attendees will see how safety science connects to NGSS practices, how to access and use our resources, and why our nonprofit mission ensures these tools remain free and accessible. The session will also highlight pathways for educators to partner with ULRI to bring authentic, real-world safety challenges into science teaching and learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Discover what safety science is, why it matters, and how UL Research Institutes offers free, research-based STEM resources that connect classroom learning to real-world challenges in safety and sustainability.

SPEAKERS:
Jessica Sparacino, Daniel Sternberg