As Chair of the 5th Annual STEM Forum & Expo, I invite STEM educators to join me and NSTA in Denver, Colorado from July 27-29, 2016, for a unique PD event that brings together many of the top STEM organizations and makes the teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) a priority in today’s classrooms.

As the need for students to become stronger in STEM grows, so too does the need for well-qualified STEM teachers and administrators who understand what is needed to develop relevant and high-quality STEM programs. The STEM Forum offers opportunities for those involved in the teaching of STEM programs to learn how to effectively integrate various instructional approaches into their teaching and learning environments.

The Forum’s programming is built to assist with the implementation of initiatives and programs that provide specific professional development programs, strategies, and models that will enhance the skills and knowledge of current and future STEM teachers and school leaders in pre-kindergarten through the university level.

Grade-based strands, as well as a strand specifically geared toward administrators, will enable you to easily follow your own interests and interact with colleagues from your particular teaching communities.

The ultimate goal of the Forum is to positively impact overall student performance in the STEM disciplines at all levels of education. Here are some examples of the type of programming opportunities that you will experience:

• Hands-on sessions that enhance ongoing development of teachers and school leaders to improve their STEM knowledge, as well as their pedagogical skills used to import the specialized knowledge/content in each of the STEM disciplines.
• Specialized panels that promote the implementation of teacher and administrator skill and competency development, including data-informed teaching and leading, and the integration of research-based methods into the STEM curriculum.
• Networking opportunities for administrators to improve and enhance competencies attributable to strong STEM leadership, including, but not limited to, supervising and motivating staff, coordination of STEM curriculum, promoting and sustaining a positive school learning climate, and evaluating student performance in the STEM disciplines.
• The forum provides project- and research-based activities that tackle issues of real-world relevance. Our programming is driven by the latest research in subject areas as well as best practices for communicating topics in effective and meaningful ways.

Additional events that will be offered during this 2 1/2 day Forum are:

• An opportunity to hear perspectives from a diverse group of student panelists who have benefited from STEM education and can explain how it has affected their school experiences. These students will also be sharing their aspirations and interests related to STEM opportunities and careers.
• Exhibits that provide tools and resources to further enhance the skills of education.
• Keynote speaker and creator of the YouTube channel Veritasium Derek Muller, Australian-Canadian science communicator, filmmaker, and television presenter.

The programming and events associated with the 5th Annual STEM Forum & Expo will help to ensure successful implementation of STEM education into schools and communities. I hope you and your colleagues will join us. To assist you as you work with your administrator to attend the STEM Forum, we’ve provided a justification letter for this important professional development opportunity. Download it and bring it to your principal if you need help justifying why you should receive support to attend!

Jennifer C. Williams is the Chair of the 2016 STEM Forum and Expo and Department Chair Lower School Science | PAEMST 2006; Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, LA. email Williams at JenniferWilliams@Newmanschool.org.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Future NSTA Conferences

5th Annual STEM Forum & Expo, hosted by NSTA

• Denver, Colorado: July 27–29

2017 Area Conferences

• Baltimore, Maryland: October 5–7
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: November 9–11
• New Orleans, Louisiana: November 30–December 2

National Conferences

• Los Angeles, California: March 30–April 2, 2017
• Atlanta, Georgia: March 15–18, 2018
• St. Louis, Missouri: April 11–14, 2019
• Boston, Massachusetts: March 26–29, 2020
• Chicago, Illinois: April 8–11, 2021

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