Two nationally recognized keynote speakers have been announced for Van Andel Education Institute's (VAEI) inaugural Science on the Grand conference scheduled for July 16-17 in Grand Rapids.
Science on the Grand: A STEAM Conference on Inquiry-Based Instruction aims to equip K-12 teachers with the skills, resources, confidence, and competence to transform their science instruction.
The first-of-its-kind education conference will help teachers prepare students for jobs in the future that don't yet exist. It will provide concepts and practices that support students as they become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers.
Taylor Mali, education advocate and author of What Teachers Make, will deliver the keynote address on July 16. The second day of the conference will open with a keynote address by B. Gentry Lee, chief engineer for Solar System Exploration and partner for Carl Sagan's Cosmos.
The first day of the conference concentrates on classroom climate and culture. Sessions will guide teachers in creating a learning environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive of taking risks and learning from them, and will provide teachers strategies for developing scientific habits of mind such as curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance.
The second day will focus squarely on content that integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM).
Sessions on this day are divided into narrow grade bands so that content is developmentally appropriate and relevant to each teacher.
"We're pleased to offer this new conference to educators who share our commitment to students," said Terra Tarango, director and education officer of VAEI.
"In education, we often talk about addressing 'the whole child,' but with this conference, we want to address 'the whole teacher.' The conference will help teachers establish a classroom culture to support STEAM instruction, provide rich standards aligned content and classroom strategies, and nurture teachers' own curiosity and personal growth."
Participants are also invited to participate in "Pitch Tank," a competition intended to encourage creativity in the classroom.
Attendees may submit ideas for how they would use $5,000 to transform their classroom. Three finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges on July 17. Selected winners will be awarded up to $5,000 to turn their idea into a reality.
Registration to the conference is $200; plus, principals can attend free with a paid registration.