Annual Report 2021
SELECT SECTION
2021 Annual Report: High School Research Teachers Conference
In October, the Society welcomed over 130 teachers to the 2021 High School Research Teachers Conference. A year after hosting a fully virtual conference in 2020, the Society was excited to bring together this inspired community of educators for an event with both in-person and virtual elements. Under careful COVID-19 protocols, many of this year’s participants met in Washington, D.C., for an action-packed three days of workshops and peer-to-peer learning sessions, while virtual participants connected from around the country.
Learn more about the High School Research Teachers Conference and how you or someone you know can apply to attend a future edition.
Take Five: Helping Educators Reduce Stress in and out of the Classroom
One timely session at the conference addressed ways to reduce educators’ mounting stress, incorporating neuroscience research into practical teaching tips and tools that educators could adapt for their classrooms.
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Other Outreach & Equity Programs
Connecting Educators to the Latest Science Journalism
Science News in High Schools delivers world-class science journalism to classrooms across the United States. The program’s Educator Guides supply teachers with lesson plans that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and further engage students’ curiosity. Over 5 million students and 17,000 educators have participated in the program since its founding.
Investigating the Wide World Around Us
Through the STEM Research Grant program, the Society provided research kits to 100 middle and high school science educators to help their students conduct scientific research outside the classroom during the 2020–2021 school year. The teachers, who hail from 38 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, each chose from a selection of 13 high-quality kits valued at $1,000 each.
Building Community in a Virtual World
In the midst of a year in which educators were faced with unprecedented challenges, the Society welcomed over 100 teachers from 27 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and Guam to the 2021 Middle School Research Teachers Conference. Participating entirely on a virtual platform, the teachers connected for three interactive days, building community and sharing best practices.