How can you craft space to help emphasize student-centered environments for inquiry-based, interdisciplinary, and freedom-centric learning? Join an architect with the Committee on Architecture for Education to explore strategies and examples on how spaces can inspire community, creativity, curiosity, and caring.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Attendees will learn from a case study of a new K-8 STEAM school how various design qualities of openness, art, connectivity, and nature can create freedom-centric learning. 2. Attendees will learn what it means to craft space and how creating diverse and agile settings removes barriers and allows teachers and students to take ownership and adapt the environment to their needs. 3. Attendees will explore how theme-based design can be utilized to shape cultural interactions, indoo/outdoor connections, and the building as a canvas for art.

SPEAKERS:
Olivia Graf Doyle (Architecture for Education: Pasadena, CA)

Hear how the Samueli Foundation along with its partners designed and scaled the STEM Learning Ecosystem to now 89 communities around the world.

TAKEAWAYS:
What it takes to build a STEM Ecosystem How to build a STEM Ecosystem The evidence to support the value of a STEM Ecosystem

SPEAKERS:
Veronica Gonzales (Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES): Cleveland, OH)

Join a group of architects with the Committee on Architecture for Education to explore how alternate learning environments and a connection to nature and sustainability can encourage discovery, innovation, and problem solving.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore various opportunities for fostering innovation in nontraditional classroom settings. Attendees will investigate case studies of successful spaces that incorporate nature as part of both the learning environment and as a learning tool. Attendees will learn how to create their own alternative learning environments, utilizing sustainable strategies and designing for discovery.

SPEAKERS:
John Dale (HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux): Los Angeles, CA), Claire Gallagher (Georgian Court University: Lakewood, NJ)

Practical exercises convinced these science teachers to use art in their classrooms to improve learning. Leonardo was right: art and science belong together. See how!

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Learn how the physical act of drawing can enhance science learning and observation skills. 2. Take away practical exercises that help teach observation skills . 3. Discover how drawing practice can dovetail with the Next Generation Science Standards.

SPEAKERS:
Sally Bensusen (Visual Science Studio: Lovettsville, VA)

STEM educators are quickly responding to the challenge of teaching students virtually through online classrooms and asynchronous assignments, but in hands-on technology classrooms, like Fab Labs and makerspaces, learning is especially difficult without access to 3D printers, laser cutters, and other digital fabrication tools. Over the past few months, the SCOPES-DF educators and makers network has been innovating and prototyping solutions to this challenge. In this workshop, participants will hear about some ideas and practices from innovative educators in the network using digital fabrication technologies with their students and will be challenged to get creative in their own virtual classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Shifting the focus to design is important for virtual projects. Computer simulations are an added step for digital fabrication that can be helpful in virtual assignments as well as in-person prototyping. Educators all over the world are facing this challenge with digital fabrication technologies, learn from others by joining the network.

SPEAKERS:
Liz Whitewolf (The Fab Foundation: Boston, MA)

Engage your students in this multidisciplinary application of civics and the scientific process. Implement this real-world problem-solving venue in your school!

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn how to plan and execute co-curricular classes that integrate aspects of criminal justice, forensic science, and crime scene investigation. Expand these experiences for students by encouraging the involvement of other teachers/faculty in your schools. Explore how the implementation of student agency in the classroom can encourage students to grow in their ability to prioritize and chose responsibly, which is a lifelong skill.

SPEAKERS:
Jennifer Field (Nipmuc Regional High School: Upton, MA)

Uncertainty and lack of predictability can stimulate the biological mechanisms of stress. Join in for a practical look at the science of stress from the perspectives of neuroscience and behavior. How do we benefit from stress and get harmed by it? How can we and our students regulate stress in the distance learning environment, in a way that promotes health and learning?

TAKEAWAYS:
Social-Emotional Mind and Brain Science Classroom Management

SPEAKERS:
Tim Blesse (Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Denver, CO)

The Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway is a successful partnership initiative that proves schools can improve their STEM education practices through a positive, collaborative approach with community organizations.

TAKEAWAYS:
Designed to help the widest range of school districts and schools adopt best practices in STEM education, the Pathway includes: a tool and process for assessing current STEM programming and creating a practical plan for improvement a guide to specific steps a school or district can take to improve STEM education supports for teacher professional development and district-to-district mentoring.

SPEAKERS:
Toni Stith (Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh, PA)

The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network has developed a strong, statewide STEM ecosystem for K–12 educators. We will focus on ways to connect and highlight communities of STEM teachers, encourage innovative teaching practices through targeted STEM professional development, and establish a STEM culture through statewide programming efforts.

TAKEAWAYS:
Identify the niches of your ecosystem—what are the roles necessary to promote diversity and unity? Identify the resources needed to sustain an ecosystem Identify potential challenges to the viability of the ecosystem and possible mitigation strategies

SPEAKERS:
Brandi Stroecker (Tennessee STEM Innovation Network-Battelle: Nashville, TN), Becky Ashe (Tennessee STEM Innovation Network-Battelle: Nashville, TN)

Undergraduate students performed science outreach activities with grades 8–12 students at the YMCA afterschool program. Students designed and facilitated three consecutive sessions each week that were scaffolded to specific grade levels. They used this experience to fulfill the capstone requirement for their BA in Biological Sciences degree. The undergraduates served as role models to students underrepresented in STEM fields while stimulating their interest in science. This experience also stimulated interest of the undergraduates in future careers as science teachers.

SPEAKERS:
Patricia Halpin (University of New Hampshire at Manchester: Manchester, NH)

Join us as we discuss pandemic rethinking of an in-depth, in-person program led by university students engaging diverse upper-elementary girls in a STEM pathway, and opportunities for participating college mentors.

TAKEAWAYS:
1) Critical role the community advisory panel played in informing, guiding, and advocating for their audiences during the pandemic . 2) Student mentors have a powerful impact on the direction and depth of programming, including nurturing interests and role modeling with the next generation of scientists. 3) Key aspects of connecting young, diverse girls to the STEM pathway.

SPEAKERS:
Gianna Sullivan (University of Colorado Museum of Natural History: Boulder, CO), Lina Perez Angel (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO), Rachel Fox Freeman (University of Colorado Boulder: Boulder, CO)

Explore a partnership with an informal education organization to inspire the next generation of STEM students to pursue a career in STEM teaching. Discussion centers on the changes in interns’ perceptions of teaching STEM through data collected, including videos, observations, and student focus group data.

TAKEAWAYS:
• Participants will learn about a community partnership with an informal education organization to inspire the next generation of STEM students to pursue a career in STEM teaching. • Participants will explore the changes in interns’ perceptions of teaching STEM through data collected, including videos, observations and student focus group data. • Participants will discuss opportunities to teach and educate others for students interested in STEM.

SPEAKERS:
Akhtar Mahmood (Bellarmine University: Louisville, KY), Kristin Cook (Bellarmine University: Louisville, KY), Cody Nygard (Bellarmine University: Louisville, KY)