In what ways is science education leadership important to/in your organization?

At Vernier, we’re deeply committed to supporting science education leaders for a few crucial reasons. First, they help us in understanding the big picture by providing us with invaluable insights about the broader education landscape and what the needs are in terms of science solutions at the district level. This is very important for us, because it helps shape our product planning and development to meet those needs.

Science education leaders also help us learn about the larger trends happening in schools districtwide. This includes understanding which instructional strategies and technologies are improving student engagement and addressing educational challenges, such as how gaps in math knowledge are impacting readiness for science courses. Educators are facing a lot of big challenges—but that also means we have many opportunities to learn and innovate. Getting to see the comprehensive view of science education and understanding what students need for high school and postsecondary success helps us work toward our mission.

Additionally, science education leaders play a pivotal role in the successful adoption of our technology. They’re our partners in this, helping to ensure that schools and teachers have the support they need for Vernier solutions to really make a difference in the classroom. That means supporting professional development, getting teacher buy-in, and having the right methods in place to evaluate student learning outcomes. This partnership with education leaders isn’t just part of our strategy; it’s at the heart of our mission.

How does your organization support science education leaders?

First and foremost, we view our relationship with science education leaders as a partnership. We’re deeply invested in the future of STEM education, and that means supporting the leaders who shape it. We’re putting our efforts into helping current and upcoming administrators by supporting and contributing to organizations like NSELA. And it’s really a true partnership in that we give back to organizations in ways that are significant and meaningful to them—from sponsorships and speaking opportunities to inviting leaders to provide feedback on our programs and product development.

A great example of how we support science education leaders is one of our newest initiatives, the Vernier Trendsetters Community. We founded this community to encourage stronger connections and cross-learning between science educators and administrators from diverse districts—leaders representing different regions, school sizes, funding levels, and so forth. We want to create a supportive network where educational leaders can learn from each other and exchange ideas to develop innovative, impactful ways to help build the knowledge and skills of the next generation of STEM-literate citizens.

We always welcome conversations with NSELA members, so if you have questions or want to speak with us about needs in your district, please reach out to Candace Davis at cdavis@vernier.com.

Why did you want to partner with NSELA?

Our decision to partner with NSELA stems from the organization’s proven, long-standing commitment to mentoring administrators as well as its recognition of the importance of public-private partnerships. NSELA focuses on quality partnerships that help support their mission—maximizing effective science teaching in ever-changing educational landscapes—and those efforts align with many of our own values at Vernier.

That’s also why we continue our partnership through programs like the Vernier Emerging Science Education Leader Scholarship (VESELS) Award, which has supported professional growth, mentorship, and development for emerging science leaders across the country since 2017. Ultimately, we see our collaboration with NSELA as an opportunity to contribute to wider goals in enhancing science literacy.