Over 500 to attend Purdue’s Indiana STEM Education Conference

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More than 500 teachers and education professionals from across the state will attend the Indiana STEM Education Conference on January 12, 2023.

The annual conference runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 12) in Stewart Center at Purdue University. This is the eighth year for the event, sponsored by Purdue’s Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST) and the College of Education. Additional sponsors include 1st Maker Space, Amplify, Comcast, Get More Math, LEGO Education, Keep Indiana Learning, STEM Synergy, NearSpace Education, Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, STEM Education Works, Tallo, and TinkRworks.

Lynn Bryan, director of CATALYST and a professor of science education, said, “Integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is the key topic for K-12 education in Indiana. We are excited that over 500 people have registered for the conference!”

The conference is tailored to the professional development needs of Indiana K-12 STEM teachers and administrators to share best practices, innovative instructional ideas, and current educational research in STEM education.

“Year after year, it is inspiring to see the commitment of conference participants to enhancing STEM education in Indiana and to providing STEM instruction that will equip students with 21st century skills — preparing future generations to thrive in not only STEM-related businesses and industries, but also as global citizens,” Bryan said. 

Sharita Ware, engineering and technology teacher at East Tipp Middle School in Lafayette, IN, and the 2022 Indiana Teacher of the Year, will deliver a keynote presentation about her experience as an educator and her thoughts about encouraging students in STEM.

The conference features over 60 sessions to learn from fellow education professionals and the Purdue community. Selected presentations will include: Enriching Integrated STEM with Scientific Reasoning and Place-Based Education, The Impact of Engineering Design and Computer Science in STEM Labs, STEM for ALL Language Learners, and Using Children’s Literature to Teach Integrated STEM.

“Participants will have a multitude of opportunities to learn about curriculum, pedagogy, research and resources to enrich STEM learning for pre-college students,” Bryan said.

Attendees can register onsite between 8-9 a.m. in Purdue’s Stewart Center, 128 Memorial Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907.