Our FlyGirls program was developed to introduce young women in grades 4–8 to aerospace using drones. The Cobb County School District has partnered with Lockheed Martin, FTW Robotics, female drone pilots from across the U.S., and other informal educators to offer our FlyGirls program. Learn how we shifted during remote learning and focused on college and career readiness.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will: 1. learn how to cultivate a dynamic partnerships between multiple agencies; 2. receive step-by-step guidance to start your own local chapter of FlyGirls; and 3. receive access to the resources we developed and used with our FlyGirls group.

SPEAKERS:
Sally Creel (Cobb County School District: Marietta, GA), Alana Davis (Cobb County School District: Marietta, GA)

Dissect the differences between flashy engagers and phenomena to identify essential components of effective phenomenon-based teaching. Critically consider phenomena with personal relevance for your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Build a deeper understanding of the differences between “hooks” and phenomena, 2. Consider and identify the benefits of using contextual, locally inspired phenomena to support all students, and 3. Identify potential local phenomena for their own classrooms to support more inclusive learning

SPEAKERS:
Martha Inouye (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY), Ana Houseal (University of Wyoming: Laramie, WY)

Explore how to take advantage of NSTA’s vast resources and pathways, including both asynchronous and synchronous options, to create personalized professional learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover the value of being a School or District NSTA Partner; 2. Explore how to maximize online professional learning for all teachers; and 3. Discover how to utilize NSTA's online learning resources to support in-person professional learning.

SPEAKERS:
Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Wendy Binder (Program Director, STEM Professional Learning: Arlington, VA)

Explore NSTA’s NEWProfessional Learning Units. Discover these bite-sized asynchronous professional learning experiences that support student sensemaking to earn credit to submit to your school or district.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover how NSTA can provide asynchronous and bite-sized continuing education credit options (2 hours per PLU); 2. Explore how each PLU contains reflections or tasks connected to the classroom that are submitted to NSTA for review or feedback; and 3. Explore how we can support professional learning for individuals or schools/districts including the flexible options available for Professional Learning Unit topics, and how these fit into our Professional Learning pathways.

SPEAKERS:
Elizabeth Allan (University of Central Oklahoma: Edmond, OK), Tricia Shelton (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

Our students are already impacted by climate change. How can we teach about it in ways that help them all thrive on a damaged planet?

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Justice-centered climate science instruction is possible and needed throughout the grade span, and intersects with a variety of other ecological topics; 2. Our young people are already aware of and experiencing the effects of climate change, and educators are in a unique position to help them better understand and process this new reality; and 3. There are many resources already available to support educators in this work, even if it may sound daunting at first.

SPEAKERS:
Deb Morrison (Educator and Learning Scientist: Seattle, WA), Abby Rhinehart (University of Washington: Seattle, WA)

This project-based STEM experience encourages your students to design and create cities of the future. Give your students a real-world experience of doing what an engineer does while working with real engineers.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Discover how this career-related project-based experience can illustrate the application of STEM; 2. Help students understand the engineering design process and project management; and 3. Give students a real-world experience of doing what an engineer does.

SPEAKERS:
John Hutchens (Ruth Patrick Science Education Center: Aiken, SC)

First steps in engaging students in life that surrounds them by using hands-on activities and community support.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. How to make action steps to incorporate a local topic with hands-on labs into an NGSS-focused curriculum (examples used will be Beekeeping, Fish anatomy and physiology, and astronomy); 2. How to build relationships with informal educators and bring them into the classroom; and 3. How to incorporate local topics and and deepen ties with informal educators into school culture through the creation of extracurricular clubs and student-led learning activities.

SPEAKERS:
Nels Lund (Chelan High School: Chelan, WA)

Learn about a STEAM Ecosystem providing hands-on connections between NGSS and STEAM careers. The collaborative includes a large school district and nine community agencies.

TAKEAWAYS:
Each attendee will be provided with Dramatic Results’ STEAM Ecosystem Mapping Tool to take back to their communities to: 1. identify potential collaborators in their community (“community” includes local, regional, national\, and even international) strengths and challenges posed with each potential collaborator; 2. establish shared goals for their STEAM Ecosystem; and 3. learn how to adapt their STEAM Ecosystem to include both in-person and virtual engagement and program delivery.

SPEAKERS:
Tori-Ann Hampton (Dramatic Results: Signal Hill, CA), Christine Pham (Dramatic Results: Signal Hill, CA)