What will be describe in this 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.

TAKEAWAYS:
How to update these events to go beyond the traditional Family Science Events that are superficial. One main takeaway are example indepth activities and resources that can be used for use with families and students

SPEAKERS:
Annabelle Fortine (Central Michigan University: Eagle, MI), Lavender Bertsch (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Hannah Smock (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Morgan Glann (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Nicole Merner (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Makayla Spencer (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Emma Harma (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI), Jim McDonald (Central Michigan University: Mount Pleasant, MI)

For anyone that has excitedly explained the power of phenomenon-based instruction or 3-dimensional learning and been met with a blank stare – this session is for you! Led by communication experts, this session is designed to help you create K-12 Science messages in succinct, compelling ways.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn new ways to describe and explain the importance of 3-dimensional instruction and phenomenon based learning to key audiences, including parents and communities, lawmakers, and non-science educators.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Ezring (Collaborative for Student Success: No City, No State), Josh Parrish (Collaborative for Student Success: No City, No State), Michelle Austin (Managing Director, SVP: Washington, DC)

Engaging in scientific investigations can motivate students to read, write and participate in productive discourse. This session provides educators with lessons and resources to support teaching three-dimensional hands-on scientific investigation that motivates student learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants leave the session with insights into how to use engaging hands-on investigations to motivate students to read, write, and engage in discourse. They will receive a complete set of lesson plans for their NGSS state grade-level standards.

SPEAKERS:
Brett Moulding (Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning: Ogden, UT), Candace Penrod (Salt Lake City School District: Salt Lake City, UT)

Sponsoring Company: Nourish the Future

Become a leader in exploring solutions with students on issues affecting sustainability, climate, environment, and food production. Test solutions to real-world problems facing food production today with 4 inquiry-based lessons in biotechnology, water/soil quality, renewable fuels and biodiversity.

Does your district have limited support for science in Elementary schools? Join us to explore recruiting classroom teachers to develop a science teacher leader community that supports quality science instruction in PreK-5 in all schools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Strategies for developing these science teacher leaders that can increase student performance/interest in science, fostering a science community among educators, enhancing their capacity in science education best practice, and developing their leadership skills.

SPEAKERS:
Amy Reese (Howard County Public School System: Ellicott City, MD), Jenn Brown-Whale (Howard County Public School System: Ellicott City, MD), Linda Wilson (Manor Woods Elementary School: Ellicott City, MD)

Many districts de-prioritized elementary science during the pandemic and now are struggling to reignite consistent science instruction. Building, tapping, and deploying teacher leaders is a key strategy for quickly reintroducing science into the culture of your district. Teacher leaders can model best practices, demonstrate how science fits into their schedule and instructional priorities, and can guide colleagues to do the same by facilitating institutes, workshops, video reflections, PLCs, and coaching sessions. Improving Practice Together, an NSF-funded partnership between Lawrence Hall of Science, Stanford University, and Santa Clara USD, developed a suite of tools for developing and studying development of science teacher leaders, including: professional learning tools for summer institutes to support teachers’ classroom practice; tools to support development of teacher leaders; lesson artifacts, classroom videos, & teacher interviews; and research & evaluation tools.

TAKEAWAYS:
The Improving Practice Together website contains resources to support: facilitating and evaluating classroom science argumentation; leading and evaluating professional learning on argumentation; and the development and deployment of teacher leaders to support science learning in a school or district

SPEAKERS:
Sarah Pedemonte (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Diana Velez (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Krista Woodward (Santa Clara Unified School District: Santa Clara, CA), Emily Weiss (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

During this session school leaders will explore a NGSS Implementation Toolkit that leverages classroom observations to support strategic alignment of resources for elementary science education. Participants will hear from teacher leaders that utilize this tool to advocate for structures and supports

TAKEAWAYS:
This toolkit allows educational leaders across the system to gain a deeper understanding of student sensemaking and discourse in an NGSS aligned elementary classroom. Teacher Leaders who open up their classrooms can leverage this process to advocate for structures and support for elementary science.

SPEAKERS:
Dawn O'Connor (CSU East Bay: Danville, CA), Nancy Wright (Hayward Unified School District: Hayward, CA)

School leaders and university faculty will share and discuss two different grassroots approaches to the development of STEM programming in K-8 levels. The processes of continued collaboration, strategic planning, professional development, and STEM culture have led to initial successful outcomes.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about STEM program development and STEM professional development models. STEM Education frameworks and a toolkit used as a foundation for strategic planning and sustainability will be shared and available for attendees.

SPEAKERS:
Brandy Hepler (Southeast Missouri State University: Cape Girardeau, MO), Andi Maddox (Director of Curriculum and Instruction: Kennett, MO), Trudy Giasi (Valle Catholic Schools: Ste. Genevieve, MO)

Participants will come away with a roadmap of how to align their local instructional evaluation instrument with the characteristics of a great STEM lesson and how to provide actionable feedback to improve STEM instruction in their classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will be able to identify the key components of STEM instructional practices, have a process to align those practices to their local instructional evaluation instrument, and will be able to identify key components of actionable feedback.

SPEAKERS:
Christina Hilton (Central Indiana Educational Service Center: Indianapolis, IN)

Admins, Supervisors & TLs: Do you need a new way to engage your teachers about equity issues? Focusing on diversity, technology, assessment, and more, we will model case-based pedagogy as a tool for your learning community to have tough discussions. K-5 Resources Provided (focus), 6-12 Available.

TAKEAWAYS:
School leaders will be able to use cases (short stories around a central dilemma) to create a layered dialogue bringing together multiple stakeholders in a learning community. Multiple cases will be provided as take-home resources and training material for attendees.

SPEAKERS:
Chelsea Sexton (University of Georgia: Athens, GA)

Sponsoring Company: National Science Foundation

Join the National Science Foundation as we share professional development opportunities for teachers within the federal government and hear from Presidential Awardees about their experiences and benefits received from the PAEMST program.

SPEAKERS:
Gianluca Grignoli (NSF Event Lead: Philadelphia, PA)

Systemic inequities inhibit access to high quality science instruction. Using an equity-based MTSS framework, we use the Leadership 4 Justice Framework to recognize, dismantle and rebuild initiatives to ensure they are truly serving ALL students. Participants create a Vision 4 Justice for science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Use MTSS to RECOGNIZE systems of inequity and racist policies, particularly in science. Discuss strategies to DISMANTLE these systems and achieve equitable outcomes, and Explore ways to REBUILD systems by creating a Leadership 4 Justice action plan outline to take back to your leadership teams.

SPEAKERS:
Marie Gorman (STEM 4 Real: San Francisco, CA), Leena Bakshi (STEM4Real: No City, No State)

Applying design thinking, students, educators, and community members collaborate to solve issues facing our community.

TAKEAWAYS:
1. Encourage your students to engage in community partnerships to promote student learning; 2. Provide strategies to increase scientific literacy through socio-scientific issues; and 3. Facilitate an inclusive culture through student agency.

SPEAKERS:
Pamela Joslyn (Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow: No City, No State)

This interactive session will share a statewide model for systems-level change anchored in science where participants reflect on their own contexts to advance content integration anchored in science. Participants will engage in a discussion about how the focus of content integration could be a high-leverage strategy at a systems level for enacting change in elementary science teaching and learning and for supporting learning for all children. Participants will learn about the model created by Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's in collaboration with The Lawrence Hall of Science to discuss the strengths, challenges and affordances of this ongoing approach. Participants will have opportunities to share the conditions of their own contexts, reflect on how the strategies employed in this model may apply in their own systems, and identify entry points for beginning and/or advancing implementation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn about a statewide model for supporting education systems in enacting content integration anchored in science, and will be able to reflect on their own systems’ context in order to identify their next step towards content integration.

SPEAKERS:
Diana Velez (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Sarah Pedemonte (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA), Kimberley Astle (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction: Olympia, WA), Vanessa Lujan (The Lawrence Hall of Science: Berkeley, CA)

We need skilled teachers to lead from the classroom rather than leave to become administrators. Your voice needs to be heard by your local community and your state education department. Your voice Carrie’s far more weight than you realize! Come discuss recent reports and strategies to effect change.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore how to make their voice heard in their school, district and state. Too often teachers are frustrated by the way things are and they lack an understanding of how systems work. This session is designed to pull back the curtain and divulge a path forward.

SPEAKERS:
Shari Templeton (Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance: Augusta, ME)

Sponsoring Company: NOAA

As a NOAA Planet Steward Educator you can become a STEM agent of change in your school and community. Learn how to access professional development opportunities, education resources, and funding, to increase students’ science literacy, and have them respond to real world environmental threats.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Moravchik (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD), Symone Barkley (Education Specialist: Silver Spring, MD)

What does the science of reading say about reading in science? Science knowledge directly supports reading comprehension, and students can’t afford to wait until upper grades to start learning science. Learn how to integrate science and literacy in your own classroom and how to advocate for changes

TAKEAWAYS:
Science and reading can compete for time, but students benefit when the two serve each other. Science gives purpose and meaning to reading and writing, which help students build and clarify their ideas. You can do this in your classroom and be a voice for change in your school, district, and state.

SPEAKERS:
Stephanie Westhafer (West Jackson Elementary School: Hoschton, GA), Jeremy Peacock (Jackson County School System: Jefferson, GA)

Sponsoring Company: NOAA

As a NOAA Planet Steward Educator you can become a STEM agent of change in your school and community. Learn how to access professional development opportunities, education resources, and funding, to increase students’ science literacy, and have them respond to real world environmental threats.

SPEAKERS:
Bruce Moravchik (NOAA National Ocean Service: Silver Spring, MD), Symone Barkley (Education Specialist: Silver Spring, MD)