Need FREE grant funds for STEAM education, but don't know where to start? This session unpacks how to engineer a grant proposal in 12 steps.

TAKEAWAYS:
From this session, educators will be able to: 1. describe grant types and grant funders; 2. illustrate the 12-step grant writing process; and 3. identify sources of grant funding.

SPEAKERS:
Bejanae Kareem (STEM & Grant Specialist: Jonesboro, GA)

Learn how to assist educators in facilitating purposeful STEM clubs for elementary girls, focusing on strategies promoting female student achievement, confidence, and interest in science.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Strategies to establish and facilitate STEM clubs that are fun, develop collaboration, actively combat stereotypes, and provide students with female role models in the STEM community; 2. An exploration of options for club formats and in-class applications, possible equity protocols, as well as a discussion of potential barriers and possible solutions for educators; and 3. Tools and resources for further research and strategies.

SPEAKERS:
David Rosengrant (University of South Florida St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg, FL), Nicole Caltabellotta (Mt. Vernon Elementary: St. Petersburg, FL)

Explore the NSTA website with us! NSTA provides high-quality digital resources and opportunities—all within a professional community—that support professional learning and classroom instruction. NSTA staff will be available to answer questions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will become knowledgeable about the plethora of digital resources available on NSTA’s website and will learn how to add them to their library.

SPEAKERS:
Flavio Mendez (NSTA: Arlington, VA), Michelle Phillips (NSTA: Arlington, VA)

In this session, authors Dr. JoAnne Vasquez and Michael Comer describe the step-by-step thinking that defines the key elements in a STEM unit and share examples of how those elements can work together to support the implementation of STEM in the K–2 classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
This practical session provides teachers with a model template to help them create their own STEM learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Comer (Consultant: Paramus, NJ)

For years, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has been handing out bird feeders to teachers at NSTA area and national conferences (to date, we’ve given away over 15,000 bird feeders to NSTA attendees!). Teachers are thrilled to get their feeder, but we realize that this will be many teachers’ first time hanging, filling, and maintaining a bird feeder. We want to set teachers up for success by ensuring they understand not only bird-feeding basics but also how to use the feeder to spark student interest and enhance science learning. We are excited to offer a workshop that provides advice and resources to teachers, not to mention that they will walk away with a free feeder, free lessons, and birdseed coupons! We’ll share tips and tricks we’ve gathered from educators who have used window bird feeders as a springboard for authentic science learning through careful observation, connections to literature, participation in citizen science, and inquiry investigations. After this workshop, teachers will be ready to fill their new feeder with seed, suction it to their classroom’s window and attract birds (and students’ interest) on Monday morning!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn where and when to hang feeders to encourage student curiosity and learning through feeder birds and discover free Cornell Lab resources help identify birds and participate in our citizen-science projects.

SPEAKERS:
Kelly Schaeffer (Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ithaca, NY)