Empty classroom in elementary school with whiteboard and teacher's desk, school bag hanging on a chair.

what can
stem con & Beyond
do for your school?

STEM CON & Beyond is a virtual conference to help PreK-12 educators confidently implement rigorous, joyful STEM lessons.

The conference will be held April 14 – 16 and contains 50+ live & pre-recorded training sessions that are accessible through August 31, 2023.

Finger touches water close up

STEM Ripple Effect

When students engage in open-ended challenges, they develop problem-solving & social skills that serve them well in all academic areas and in life!

STEM belongs in EVERY classroom that values:

  • Critical thinking
  • Creativity & innovation
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Making connections within & beyond subject matter
  • Student voice
  • Academic rigor & relevance
  • Self-reliance, resilience, & growth mindset

Our Presenters

Our presenters not only include passionate educators within public schools, universities, gifted programs and specialty settings but ALSO subject matter experts such as engineers, authors, scientists, and researchers.

That's Amazing!
Connection Rules Everything Around Me
The Asset-Based Approach
Beyond the Narrative
Panel: Fitting Everything In
Author Panel

Our Sessions

Sessions are aimed to meet teachers where they are (literally and figuratively) to help them implement rigorous, innovative, and standards-based lessons.

Throughout the conference, teachers gain access to video training as well as live panels and interviews with the presenters and special guests. Attendees will have multiple opportunities to interact with presenters to have their questions answered and engage in discussion.

a presenter showing a teaching tool to viewers

Our Sessions Align Well with Multiple Professional Learning Goals

  • THAT’S AMAZING!!! How to Create Phenomenon-Based Lessons that Will Have Your Students Screaming for More with Steve Spangler
  • Ice Breakers in Stem with Cristina de Vega Benavides
  • Contraptions in the Classroom: Rube Goldberg Machines with Godwyn Morris
  • Leveraging the Power of Social Media to Enhance STEM Learning with Dr. Yasmine Daniels
  • Low Prep and High Engagement STEM Challenges with Emily Gentile
  • From Forensics to Festivities: Keeping Your Middle Schoolers Engaged with Brittany Culjan
  • Launch an Out of This World STEMfest! with Catherine Cheng
  • Prototyping a Theme Park with Pamela Alba & Alejandra Escovar
  • Cardboard Stem with Marijo McBeth

  • Questioning Bootcamp: The Key to Improving Your STEM Teaching Today with Emily Starr
  • Let’s Talk! Leading Intentional Discussions to Support STEM Learning with Loren Thorpe
  • Analyze This vs. That: Quick Activities to Build Critical Thinking Using Real-World Designs with Kerry Tracy
  • Time to Reflect: Simple Strategies to Help Students Reflect on their STEM Learning with Loren Thorpe
  • Structuring Student Talk Time in the Classroom with Vy Hoang
  • Rubik’s Cube and the 4 C’s with Heather Kaiser
  • Graphic Organizers with Cristina de Vega Benavides

  • Connection Rules Everything Around Me: Using the Power of Relationships to Transcend and Transform with Dr. Shaun Woodly
  • Starting with STEAM: Establishing Your STEAM Learning Community in 5 Lessons with Dia Charley
  • Secret Weapons for STEM Management with Brooke Brown
  • Let Them Make! Creative Freedom in STEM with Nicole Hewes
  • Social Emotional Learning in STEM with Shonali Ditz & Stephanie Batres Spezza
  • Organization Skills for a Busy STEAM Teacher with Pamela Alba
  • STEAMology: Spark Holistic Discovery, Invention, & Community with Monica & Tyler Aiello
  • Teaching Engineering through a Culturally Relevant Lens with Shonali Ditz & Stephanie Batres Spezza
  • Structuring Student Talk Time in the Classroom with Vy Hoang

  • The Asset-Based Approach: Unlocking the Potential of Every Learner with Dr. Sheldon L. Eakins
  • Welcome to #EdTech, It’s Been Waiting for You! with Brian Lopez
  • 3 Powerful Ways Makerspaces Can Support English Language Learners with Trina Deboree
  • Welcome to #EdTech, Newcomer Edition! with Brian Lopez
  • Collaboration is Key! Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners through STEM Professional Learning Communities with Canissa Grant

  • How to Build a Year-Long STEM Scope & Sequence with Natasha Wilkerson & Claire Meschkat
  • How To Teach Engineering with Claire Meschkat & Natasha Wilkerson
  • Fitting Everything In Panel
  • Creating Your Own Engineering Lessons with Michelle Brown

  • The Magic of Maker Story Stations in Your Classroom or Media Center with Trina Deboree
  • New Top Read-Alouds for STEM with Brooke Brown
  • Do You See What I See? – How to Help Your Students View the World Like Scientists Using Picture Books with Emily Starr
  • Incorporating STEM Into Your Reading Program and Beyond with Renee Heinrich
  • Inspiring Creativity and Student Voice with Digital Storytelling with Caitlin Arakawa & Carrie Willis
  • Author Panel with Josh Funk, Christine Taylor-Butler, Vicky Fang, Margarita Engle, Laurie Wallmark
  • Transform Your Literacy Centers with STEM! with Wittney Swyers
  • Cross-Curricular Coding with Scratch Jr. with Carrie Willis and Caitlin Arakawa
  • I Am a Scientist! How to Model Scientific Thinking Using Picture Books with Emily Starr
  • No Time for Green Screen? Teach Language Arts? Let’s Make a Movie with Anita Goodwin

  • NASA’s Art and the Cosmic Connection with Monica & Tyler Aiello (Art & Science)
  • Strategies to Integrate More STEAM Content into Your Classroom with Tammy  DeShaw (Art)
  • The Math and Physics of Balance with Godwyn Morris (Science & Math)
  • Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry with Jaclyn Farley (Science)
  • Watt Powers Our Planet? with Erin Twamley (Science)
  • Adding Economics to Your STEM with Lisa Taylor (Math & Social Studies)
  • Adding More Math to STEM to Multiply Excitement! with Tammy DeShaw (Math)
  • Weave Like Arachne: The STEAM of Ancient Weaving with Nathalie Roy (Social Studies)
  • STEAMED About Roadkill with Heather Montgomery (Science)
  • STEM in the Regular Ed. Classroom with Renee Heinrich (ELA, Math, Social Studies)

  • Inspiring Creativity and Student Voice with Digital Storytelling with Caitlin Arakawa & Carrie Willis
  • Robotics in Every Classroom 2.0 with Pamela Alba
  • Cross-Curricular Coding with Scratch Jr. with Carrie Willis and Caitlin Arakawa
  • Design and Make STEAM Activities with MakerStudio with Stijn De Mil
  • No Time for Green Screen? Teach Language Arts? Let’s Make a Movie with Anita Goodwin
  • Empowering Every Student to Envision Success in Tech with Gracie Ermi

  • Creating Authentic, Career-Ready Assignments in your Classroom with Dr. Yen Verhoeven
  • Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy Careers Panel
  • Empowering Every Student to Envision Success in Tech with Gracie Ermi
  • Watt Powers Our Planet? with Erin Twamley

  • Collaboration is Key! Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners through STEM Professional Learning Communities with Canissa Grant
  • Conference Facebook Group will be open throughout April
  • Pre-recorded presenters are available to answer questions in their comments section. Live presenters & panelists will answer questions during their sessions. 

What’s Included in Registration?

  • 50+ sessions, panels, and interviews from passionate educators, STEM/STEAM professionals, authors & experts
  • STEM/STEAM printable lessons & activities included in select presentations
  • 30+ hours of video & live-stream sessions on a wide range of STEM/STEAM topics
  • Freebies, raffles, & giveaways — over $2,000 in prizes!
  • Private, pop-up conference Facebook group to be in community with presenters and teachers around the world
  • Access through Aug. 31, 2023 (you can upgrade registration to extend access)
  • Opportunities to earn GRAD-LEVEL credit, STEM Clock Hours, CTLEs, CPDUs, or CPEs (see site FAQ for details)

Ready to Sign Up?

Download our Conference At-a-Glance PDF

FAQ

Both! While we started three years ago as an elementary conference, we’ve been growing the secondary content each year. You will find a lot of content applies to secondary teachers and homeschoolers.

You can find the best-fit grade levels for each session on the images and in descriptions on our Sessions by Day page.

Our presenters include engineers, master educators, authors, and subject-matter experts.

You can find our past presenters and upcoming presenter information as it becomes available here.

We have six options for PD credits. Each organization/institution has its own fees and deadlines, summarized in the PD Credits Options section (above the FAQ).

You do not have to take days off for this conference as you will have access to all content through Aug. 31, 2023*.

You can watch the sessions on your own time. Please note that there are some deadlines for the PD credits, depending on the option you choose. You’ll find those details in PD Credits Options section (above the FAQ).

That said, attendees in the past have mentioned they were glad they did take the Friday of conference off to soak everything in and attend the live sessions. We’ve added a complimentary sub plan activities inside the conference site that work well for grades 2-6, and could work for older and younger students with a few modifications.

*Note: If you add-on the 2022 Video Vault during registration, access to all sessions, except Dr. Shaun Woodly’s, will extend to April 19, 2024.

Due to contractual obligations, access to Dr. Shaun Woodly’s presentation (Connection Rules Everything Around Me: Using the Power of Relationships to Transcend and Transform) cannot be extended past Aug. 31, 2023. 

Access to Pop-Up Facebook Group

The pop-up Facebook group will be open throughout the month of April 2023. It will be archived April 30, 2023. At the time it is archived, group members will continue to be able to access and search the group, but no new members, posts or comments can be added.

Yes, we do! Each year, we offer a Conference At-a-Glance PDF that remains updated as information becomes available. We’ve also made an email template you can use to share with your principal how the sessions align with your professional goals.

Refunds are available through April 1, 2023. After that date we will not issue refunds.

Yes!

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