Celebrating Youth Voice

Many of us met Amanda Gorman, 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate, during the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. If you missed the opportunity to listen to her presentation of The Hill We Climb poem or if you are interested in learning more about the National Youth Poet Laureate program, please click here.

2020 - 2021 PAEMST for Grades 7-12 Nominations Open

The PAEMST program is pleased to announce that nominations and applications for the 2020–2021 awards cycle are open.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K–12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching.

Teachers may apply directly at www.paemst.org. Or any principals, teachers, parents, students, or members of the general public—may nominate exceptional Science, Computer Science, Mathematics and/or STEM educator who are currently teaching grades 7–12 for the 2020–2021 award year. 

The nomination deadline is Monday, March 1, 2021, and the application deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2021, for secondary teachers (grades 7–12). 

Tribal History/Shared History - Online Courses

SB 13 Tribal History/Shared History Online Courses

Course Description: The objective of this online professional development course is to: provide an understanding of the Essential Understandings of Native Americans in Oregon.

Attention: Before attempting to access these courses, watch this video on how to correctly set up your iLearn account. Failure to set up your account correctly could significantly delay your access to the courses.

Picture a Scientist Viewing

This film viewing and discussion will launch the Science Leadership Network (SLN), hosted by the Multnomah ESD in Portland, Oregon. We welcome K-16 science educators, coaches, and TOSAs, from throughout the Northwest. 

Once you register, you will receive a viewing link and password on Friday, Feb. 19th. Your viewing link is valid for 72 hours, from 3 pm Friday, Feb. 19 to 3 pm Monday, Feb. 22nd. Prior to the event, you will receive film companion materials (discussion event questions, topic resources, and more).

National Youth Science Camp

The deadline to submit applications is 6:00 PM EST on February 28, 2021.  To be selected, you must be a graduating high school senior in the United States (Two recipients from each state and Washington, D.C.) and students 16-18 years of age in selected other countries (see below). The 2021 NYSCamp will be held from June 28 to July 21, 2021; you must be able to attend the entire program. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 NYSCamp will be an entirely virtual experience which will include world-class lectures, directed studies, and seminars with prestigious and up and coming STEM professionals who are making a difference in their fields of study and changing the world for good.

The camp will also provide significant opportunities for delegates to interact and engage with STEM professionals, camp staph (intentional misspelling to highlight their infections enthusiasm), and other delegates in exciting, fun, and meaningful ways. Even though delegates can’t gather in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia this year, the 2021 Virtual NYSCamp will be an engaging, stimulating, and unforgettable educational experience!

For more information about the program, please visit the NYSCamp's web site at http://www.nyscamp.org. More information about the organization that raises support for NYSCamp, the National Youth Science Foundation, visit http://www.nysf.com

What It Means to Learn Science?

One way to solve complex problems like climate change may be to teach science in more complex and personal ways.

By making science more personal, an understanding of complex issues facing the natural world, such as climate change, can emerge. In order to help educators teach children how to better connect with the natural world, Northwestern Professor Megan Bang and University of Washington Assistant Professor Carrie Tzou are developing innovative and equitable field-based science education, but, they say, in order to fully understand the complexities of science, we first need to understand children’s lives.

Building Educational Equity Indicator Systems

How can states and schools use data to support their efforts to improve educational equity? Building Educational Equity Indicator Systems: A Guidebook for States and School Districts, provides information to help state and school district leaders develop ways of tracking educational equity within their preK – 12 systems.

The guidebook expands on the indicators of educational equity identified in the 2019 National Academies report, Monitoring Educational Equity, showing education leaders how they can measure educational equity within their states and school districts. Some of the indicators focus on student outcomes, such as kindergarten readiness or educational attainment, while others focus on student access to opportunities and resources, such as effective instruction and rigorous curriculum. Together, the indicators provide a robust picture of the outcomes and opportunities that are central to educational equity from preK through grade 12.

Oregon Open Learning Hub

There are uploaded NGSS Professional Learning resources available within the OOL - Science Group. Take a moment to check them out!

Climate and Environmental Justice in Education

Phil Bell and Nancy Price are equity-focused learning scientists in the College of Education at the University of Washington who collaborate with educational practitioners and community members to help people learn science and engineering in ways that are consequential to them. They are committed to developing educational approaches that build capacity for ecological caring, multispecies kinship, and community response initiatives centered on justice from anti-racist, anti-colonial, and anti-capitalist perspectives.

They have put out an invitation to follow along in this learning journey of Climate and Environmental Justice in Education Course. They will update this site over time with readings, resources, and products of our shared inquiry. They also invite you to follow along and join in the conversation on Twitter at #UWClimateEd.

STEM Happier Hour Chats

First and Third Tuesdays, 4:05-4:50 Pacific

Register here for this free series to receive the Zoom link and password that we use every session and join on weeks that work best for you.

There has never been a more important time to find community. These loosely facilitated sessions are spaces for you to laugh with others, learn from others, share your ideas, and get inspiration to keep you going in these challenging times.  

Open to every Oregon educator seeking community and connection.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Deb Bailey, STEM Education Specialist, Noelle Gorbett, Science Assessment Specialist, or Jamie Rumage, Science Education Specialist, if you have any questions or concerns.