NSELA catalyzes leadership to maximize effective science teaching and learning in a complex and changing environment. If you are receiving this email and are not a member, we encourage you to join us and get involved!

January 2024

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EDUCATE
Keeping current with news in science education.

President's Message

As the Northern Hemisphere gains more light each day from now until June, we celebrate the dawn of a new year. The upcoming days, weeks, and months bring hope, idealism, and resolve, to the elements that define the work we do in science education.

Each new year, each new season, brings hope for the days and months to come. The light illuminates the visions and possibilities for each of us, and soon we will witness the new growth of spring. Along with these seasonal changes, in this segment of the educational year, we will continue effective seasonal

changes, in this segment of the educational year, we will continue effective strategies we have implemented, dig deeply into engaging methods for investigating phenomena, and hope the research and our instincts are right.

The new year brings the idealism of realizing our vision of science education for all, of having the resources to offer powerful curricula to our students, multiple professional learning events for interested educators, and elevating Elementary Science to the level of prominence needed for all students to have opportunities to learn science.

In this new year, each of us will find the resolve to continue along the path of effective science education for all students K-12, regardless of the geography of their lives, and the challenges we face in our districts. As you forge ahead, know others who share your resolve are part of the NSELA Science Education Leadership network, please join us in our dialogues!

I am filled with optimism and hope for what we can accomplish together! May you find the hope, idealism and resolve to guide your work in the months ahead. Have a fantastic 2024, NSELA looks forward to continued conversations at our Face to Face gatherings in Denver and Seattle, We hope to see you there!

Expansive STEM Education

The series, called Expansive STEM Education: The edges of our discipline meet the edges of our social possibilities, is led by Dr. Carrie Tzou (University of Washington, Bothell) and Dr. Megan Bang (Northwestern University), among others.

The first course in the series, launching February 29, 2024, Gender Affirming Education, is a free virtual 10-week course designed for K-12 educators. Registration is currently open. This course will support participants in diversifying their teaching about “reproduction” and “reproductive systems” beyond male/female binaries. Teaching disciplinary knowledge accurately and engaging in gender affirming pedagogy can increase the rigor of learning and contribute to socially just learning environments. Gender affirming education that reflects the best science that we know is more important than ever!

Interested participants can view the project website and should sign up to register for the course no later than January 12, 2024.

ADVOCATE
Connecting with NSELA committees, events, and leaders.

Leadership Spotlight

The NSELA Membership

The NSELA Membership fills many roles in Science Education. Classroom teacher, TOSA, Coach, Science Specialist, Department Chair, Principal, Building and District level Science Support, District Science Coordinator, University Professor, State Science Supervisor, Board of Education representative, etc.

NSELA members join this professional organizational organization because they have discovered the National Science Education Leadership Association Professional Learning events are high quality, thought provoking, and offer the opportunity to network with other professionals who work in similar fields. Developing a community of science education leaders is a huge draw to being a member of NSELA.

Great advice learned over the years by NSELA members is to reach out your hand, introduce yourself to other science educators, and learn from their experiences. Join professional organizations, and take part in those communities. Take a chance, and volunteer with your local science teacher, or science leader organization. Mentor a colleague so they will have opportunities to develop their leadership potential.

To those with an interest in pursuing science leadership, find a mentor, seek out like minded souls, take as many workshops and classes as you can to continue your thinking and learning, attend local, state, or national gatherings of fellow science educators, read about or listen to the experiences of others, find podcasts, videos, etc. There are many excellent resources available in different formats.

The successes of NSELA members include developing cadres of teachers to dive into the deep end together and experiment with effective ways to facilitate learning in science, how to focus on students explaining their thinking, how to integrate reading and writing into science, and how to share our ideas with colleagues. NSELA members create professional learning programs to share what we learn, and discuss the many ideas worth exploring with colleagues in other districts and states.

Challenges for NSELA leaders include implementing and sustaining the various aspects of our work, along with gaining the necessary funds for continuing programs. Faculty availability and turnover is also a factor, whether from grade level to grade level, school to school, or district to district. Since testing of Science is optional in some districts, an additional challenge is whether Science is a priority in Elementary programs. This has powerful impacts on middle and high school science curricula. Challenging questions include how can we build a powerful science program pre-K -12? How can we utilize local colleges and universities as levers within a community? How do we engage the community at large?

Together, and individually, NSELA members work to impact Science Education Pre-K -12, across the country.

Do you have someone in mind for the Leadership Spotlight? Self-nominations are welcome! Click the button to access the submission form.

Register for the 2024 NSELA Leadership Summit

NSELA 2024 Leadership Summit

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

the Curtis Denver - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

Denver, Colorado

Cultivating Success Through Mentorship

In our dynamic and ever-evolving professional landscape, mentorship has proven to be a vital component of personal and career development. As we strive for excellence within NSELA, the need for mentorship relationships has never been more crucial. This article aims to shed light on the significance of mentorship and encourage our board, committee members, and entire NSELA members to volunteer as mentors. It also encourages new, emerging, and/or novice science leaders at the school, district, state, or informal level to consider entering a mentorship relationship as a mentee.

The Vernier Emerging Science Education Leader Scholarship (VESELS) serves as a platform to connect experienced science leaders and those entering the field in their first few years of service. NSELA is grateful to partner with Vernier to sponsor this critical program. We are encouraged by the past interest and are looking for ways to expand NSELA mentorship opportunities.

Mentorship is a powerful tool that fosters growth, learning, and camaraderie within our organization. Here are some compelling reasons why mentorship is essential:

1. Knowledge Transfer: Mentors provide valuable insights, share their experiences, and offer guidance, accelerating the learning curve for mentees. Many mentors learn as much from their mentees.
2. Professional Development: A mentorship relationship helps mentees develop the skills and knowledge necessary for career advancement, contributing to the overall success of their science program and, ultimately, student success.
3. Network Expansion: Mentors introduce mentees to their professional networks, opening doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
4. Employee Retention: Studies show that mentorship programs increase employee satisfaction and retention rates.

To ensure meaningful connections, we aim to pair mentors and mentees based on similar roles, job responsibilities, and geographic regions where applicable. This strategic pairing enhances the relevance and effectiveness of the mentorship experience, fostering a strong sense of connection and shared understanding.

More information will be provided soon about how new or novice science leaders may apply for the VESEL Scholarship to become a VESEL Scholar. In the meantime, we ask that members interested in serving as mentors contact Eric Rhoades (Virginia) for more information.

Thank you for being so committed to excellence.

Join an NSELA Committee and Help Shape National Science Education!

At NSELA, collaboration and shared expertise are crucial in driving positive change in science education. We invite you to become a committee member and contribute to shaping our organization's direction while advancing national science education. Our three standing committees - Communications & Marketing, Membership, and Professional Learning - provide incredible opportunities for experienced educators, enthusiastic advocates, and dedicated professionals like you to share your unique skills and insights. By joining us, you can make a meaningful impact on the future of science education. Come and be a part of something meaningful! Join us today and become a valuable member of NSELA, where your contributions will shape the landscape of science education nationwide. Together, let's create a brighter future for science education.

COLLABORATE
Highlighting the work of our members, partners, and other organizations.

Featured Free Resource

Visualizing Energy

Visualizing Energy is a new project of the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability that meets this challenge. It is an open access, interdisciplinary science communication project that aims to increase actionable knowledge about a sustainable and just energy transition. It uses engaging visualizations coupled with accessible data stories to communicate in clear, concise, jargon-free language. Visualizing Energy is a public good; its motivations and methods are transparent, and its data products are freely available to all. The project’s initial focus is on three interconnected areas: the connection between energy and human well-being; the history of energy transitions; and equity issues surrounding energy transitions (energy justice, energy burden, energy poverty, energy insecurity). View the project web site here.

Partner Feature

Partners featured in the NSELA E-Navigator support NSELA at the Einstein, Carver, or Curie levels. We are grateful to all our partners and appreciate their support. Click the button to learn more about the benefits of an NSELA partnership.

Vernier Science Education

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.

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.

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.

Thank you to Vernier for your support in 2023 and ongoing support of the Vernier Emerging Science Education Leader Scholarship (VESELS)! Read the entire Partnership Feature here.

NSELA Welcomes New Curie Level Partner

Advertise in the NSELA Newsletter

Would your organization like to reach the science leadership audience that is NSELA? Or do you know of an organization that would like to advertise? View this brochure to learn more! Please pass along to your colleagues.

SAFER LABS: Be Protected!
By Dr. Ken Roy, NSELA Safety Compliance Officer

Indoor Air Quality Issues in the Science Instructional Space

A number of potential IAQ issues can exist in the school workplaces, especially in areas like science, technology education, art studios, and STEM/STEAM instructional spaces and their related areas. What are these potential IAQ issues and how can they be addressed? This is a definitive role not only for teachers, but also supervisors and administrators!

Thank you to our Partners!

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