500+ teachers will attend STEM education conference at Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More than 500 teachers and education professionals from across the state will attend the Indiana STEM Education Conference this week.
The annual conference runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 15) in Stewart Center. This is the fifth year for the event, sponsored by Purdue’s Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST) and the College of Education.
Lynn Bryan, director of CATALYST and a professor in the College of Education and College of Science, said despite the 500 registered attendees, a handful of registrations still are available for the conference.
The conference is tailored to the professional development needs of Indiana K-12 STEM teachers and administrators to share best practices, innovative instructional ideas and current educational research in STEM education.
“Year after year, it is inspiring to see the commitment of conference participants to enhancing STEM education in Indiana and to providing STEM instruction that will equip students with 21st century skills — preparing future generations to thrive in not only STEM-related businesses and industries, but also as global citizens,” Bryan said.
Ben Carter, director of Workforce and Innovation for the Indiana Department of Education, will deliver a lunchtime presentation this year for K-12 Indiana teachers addressing the Indiana STEM Strategic Plan.
The Indiana STEM Strategic Plan provides a framework for a future in which all Indiana K-12 students will graduate with skills and knowledge necessary for participating in an innovation-driven economy. The objectives of this six-year strategic plan include improving STEM instruction, scaling evidence-based STEM curriculum in classrooms and fostering early STEM career exposure.
The conference features sessions split into four strands focusing on meeting the objectives of the Indiana STEM Strategic Plan: K-12 STEM Curriculum, STEM instructional strategies, STEM career awareness, and STEM education research. Attendees can select from over 60 sessions to learn from fellow education professionals and the Purdue community.
“Participants will have a multitude of opportunities to learn about curriculum, pedagogy, research and resources to enrich STEM learning for pre-college students,” Bryan said.
Attendees can register onsite between 8-9 a.m. in the Stewart Center at Purdue.