Annual Report 2021
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2021 Annual Report: Middle School Research Teachers Conference

Annual Report 2021: Middle School Research Teachers Conference photo collage

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.

The conference, now in its third year, was hosted entirely online on a platform called Event Farm. The platform enabled participants to create personalized avatars to navigate a virtual conference center and interact with one another, almost as if they were together in person. Participants spent three days engaging in interactive breakout sessions, social events and guided reflections — all with the goal of better serving and challenging their middle school pupils interested in scientific research.

Learn more about the Middle School Research Teachers Conference and how you or someone you know can apply to attend a future edition.

 

How Can STEM Educators Apply a Cultural Lens in the Classroom and Lab

Mónica Feliú-Mójer, a scientist-turned-educator who grew up in rural Puerto Rico, delivered the keynote address at the 2021 Middle School Research Teachers Conference. Read more about Mónica and her inspiring remarks on the Society blog.

Read the Blog Post
Keynote speaker at MSRTC 2021
Read the Blog Post

Sustaining Research Outside the Classroom

Other Outreach & Equity Programs

Supporting STEM Champions Across the Country

The Advocate Program provides training, stipends, equipment and year-round support to mentors working with underrepresented and low-income students interested in entering science research competitions. In 2020–2021 school year, students of the 66 Advocates took part in over 1,000 fairs and competitions.
STEM Research Grantee's students showing off the STEM kit

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.

Reunited and Reaffirmed in Supporting Students Everywhere

In the first hybrid High School Research Teachers Conference, high school teachers from around the country gathered online while those living near the Society’s home of Washington, D.C., met in person. The conference welcomed 130 teachers and included peer-led sessions that focused on topics ranging from leading students in independent scientific research to engaging students from underserved communities.
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