Meeting of the minds

What do you get when you bring together 42 NCSE-affiliated science teachers from around the country? Collaboration, camaraderie, and constant learning.

Twelve of NCSE’s teacher ambassadors and several members of NCSE’s staff met on the campus of Colorado State University July 9-12 to take a deep dive into NCSE’s recently completed lesson sets on evolution, climate change, and the nature of science. These teachers are planning to teach some or all of the lessons in the upcoming school year — and support colleagues in teaching them, too.

Additionally, NCSE’s teacher ambassadors developed skills they need to begin leading professional learning opportunities in school districts across the nation.

Before the teacher ambassadors departed, they were joined by 30 curriculum field testers — science teachers who have been trying out parts of the lesson sets and reporting the results back to NCSE staff.

Participants are beginning the second year of the curriculum study in the fall of 2022. NCSE will use feedback from the field testers gathered throughout the first year and during the summer to revise and improve the lessons in an effort to make them even more teacher-friendly and easily integrated into any state’s curriculum requirements.

The full days included the teachers trying out activities that they’ll be asking their students to engage in, interacting with guest presenters, and enjoying field experiences that highlighted the rich possibilities of place-based science learning. Below are just a few photos from the event.

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