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• #WSTA25 Conference on Science Education

  • Start
    Saturday, October 25, 2025
  •  
    8:00 AM
  • End
    Wednesday, April 15, 2026
  •  
    5:00 PM
  • Location
    UW Tacoma

  Registration is closed

  Register for Washington State's Only Science Education Conference!

  
  

  
  

  October 25, 2025

  UW Tacoma

  Tacoma, WA

  Join us for exciting presentations, field trips, social gatherings, amazing featured speaker, STEM clock hours, prizes, vendors, and great learning about science and environmental education. We will have pre-events scheduled on the Friday night preceding the conference. More information coming soon! 

  We have many different ticket options and a special deal for districts who can send 5 or more of their teachers or >50% of their science teachers from a single school. If you're interested in the district deal, you can read more here and/or email WSTACommunicationsTeam@gmail.com to ask questions or get started on registering teachers!

  Head over to our conference page for updates including events, schedules, list of vendors, and more!

  General questions? Contact our conference team!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• WSTA Presents Bite-Size PL - Problems of Practice with WSTA

  • Start
    Thursday, February 19, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Thursday, May 07, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    4 sessions
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  
  

  WSTA Presents: Bite-Size Science Professional Learning

  Problems of Practice with WSTA

  February, 19, 2026, 4:00 – 5:00 pm, In Zoom

  A New Monthly Series

  Clock Hours Available

  To prepare for this session and subsequent sessions, please fill out this survey to get your ideas as soon as you can:

  Problems of Practice Survey:

   https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3nWeke8yJbpjnt2vLbY3Lzyyk-ZO0KO-gkIbHqIKZVDN2AA/viewform?usp=header

  Join our WSTA Region 9 (ESD 114) Representative Marcia Garrett as she leads a discussion on problems of practice in education.  This is an interactive discussion with teachers to solve educational issues. Please bring your problems of practice to the discussion and be ready to provide input on problems you would like to see addressed so the facilitators can research and focus on those issues and discuss solutions in a collaborative group setting.

  

  Marcia Garret, WSTA Region 9 Representative

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Take a Load Off!
  WSTA Presents Bite-Size Problems of Practice sessions to help you find a community of like-minded, inquiry science educators.  Trouble getting kids to speak up when student discourse is essential.  How can you REALLY assess what students got out of that lesson? Can you invite a sense of excitement into your classroom and still meet standards? Each one-hour monthly session will focus on one or more problems of practice that you bring to the group. We will use a protocol to share problems and explore solutions. The first Thursday of every month. One hour max. This series is for all teachers, from small and large districts. This series is sure to inspire hope.

  Register at the Washington State Science Teachers (WSTA) website under Event Calendar or at the following link: https://wsta.wildapricot.org/EventCalendar Clock hours are available for a fee.

  After you register, you will be sent a Zoom link to attend. To obtain clock hour information or questions, contact Don Pruett, WSTA Professional Development Coordinator at: wstaose@gmail.com.

  
  

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• WSTA Presents Bite-Size PL - The Art of Asynchronous PL: An ISB Showcase on Deepening Science Instruction via Canvas

  • When
    Thursday, February 26, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Spaces left
    29

  Register

  

  WSTA Bite-Size Science Professional Learning

  February 26, 2026, 4:00 - 5:00 pm

  The Art of Asynchronous PL: An ISB Showcase on Deepening Science Instruction via Canvas

  Available to Members Only!

  Membership is $25 for a year of amazing science professional learning.

  Become a WSTA Member here. 

  Join at: https://wsta.wildapricot.org/Join

  High Quality Professional Learning in Science: 

  Whether you are a K-5 teacher, a secondary teacher of science/STEM, or a district coach or administrator, this session offers a dual benefit: discover high-quality professional learning opportunities for yourself and learn the strategies behind designing effective asynchronous courses for others.

  
  

  Session Highlights:

  ●      Go behind the scenes of Canvas courses designed for science professional learning.

  ●      Look at some of the cool student work teachers have displayed for each other.

  ●      Contribute your ideas and hear others for how to make asynchronous learning deep and impactful.

  ●      Preview our current menu of professional learning courses. If you are interested, we can coach you through the sign-up process (including support for those new to Canvas).

  
  

  Presenters:

  Caroline Kiehle, Director, Logan Center for Education at ISB

  Jen Eklund, Science/Education Liaison at ISB

  
  

  Who Should Attend: All educators are invited! This includes K-12 teachers (Science, STEM, CTE), instructional coaches, TOSAs, principals, and district leaders.

  Registration Information: Please register via the Washington State Science Teachers (WSTA) Event Calendar. Link:WSTA-Washington Science Teachers Association - Events  A Zoom link will be sent to you after registration.

  Clock Hours: For questions regarding clock hours, please contact Don Pruett, WSTA Professional Development Coordinator, at puyalluppruett@gmail.com.

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• WSTA Bite-Size PL; Challenged Based Learning: Plant the Moon Challenge and the Build the Moon Challenge

  • When
    Thursday, March 12, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    In Zoom

  Register

  

  WSTA Bite-Size Science Professional Learning

   March 12, 2026,  4:00-5:00 pm

  Challenge Based Learning:

  Plant the Moon Challenge and the Build the Moon Challenge 

  Open to All, Register Here: WSTA Bite-Size PD

  Clock Hours Available

  Challenge Based Professional Learning in Science: 

  Join Joshua Neubert with the Institute of Competition Sciences for a teacher-focused webinar exploring Challenge-Based Learning and how it can be used to engage students in authentic, real-world STEM investigations. The session will begin with an overview of challenge-based learning as an instructional approach, including why it supports inquiry, student ownership, and NGSS-aligned practices.

  Session Highlights:

  Learn how Challenge-Based Learning can support inquiry-driven STEM instruction in this teacher-focused webinar with the Institute of Competition Sciences. The session will introduce the Plant the Moon and Build the Moon Challenges, NASA Artemis-aligned classroom experiences that help students apply experimental design, data analysis, and engineering practices through real-world investigations.

  Presenter: Joshua Neubert, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Competitive Sciences. 

  Who Should Attend: This session is designed for science teachers at all grade levels and will include practical examples, classroom connections, and an overview of teacher support resources and professional learning opportunities.

  Registration Information: Please register via the Washington State Science Teachers (WSTA) Event Calendar. Registration Link: WSTA-Washington Science Teachers Association - Events  A Zoom link will be sent to you after registration.

  Clock Hours: For questions regarding clock hours, please contact Don Pruett, WSTA Professional Development Coordinator, at puyalluppruett@gmail.com.

  
  

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• WSTA Bite-Size PL: Why Do Elephants Rarely Get Cancer?

  • When
    Thursday, March 19, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Spaces left
    35

  Register

  

  
  

  WSTA Bite-Size Science Professional Learning

  March 19, 2026, 4:00 - 5:00 pm

  Why Do Elephants Rarely Get Cancer

  Available to Members Only!

  Membership is $25 for a year of amazing science professional learning.

  Become a WSTA Member here. 

  Join at: https://wsta.wildapricot.org/Join

  • Why Do Elephants Raely Get Cancer? 

    Please join Dr. Jeanne Chowning and Peggy O’Neil Skinner as they explore Elephants and Cancer, one of the newest curriculum resources from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center’s Science Education Partnership! This short (4-lesson) unit delves into a mystery: Elephants are the largest land mammals, with huge bodies that are made up of exponentially more cells than smaller organisms – cells that could mutate over their long lifespan. And yet, elephants rarely get cancer. This is thought to be due in part to their extra TP53 tumor suppressor genes, which code for the p53 protein. Through a comparison of elephants, humans, and four other organisms, students learn why elephants’ genetic makeup makes them less susceptible to cancer. 

    Session Highlights:
    ●     The Elephants and Cancer mini-unit, which was featured in NSTA’s The Science Teacher in 2025, can be modified for Intro, Advanced, or AP Bio and can also be used to supplement Open SciEd materials. 

  Presenters:

  Jeanne Chowning, Ph.D., Associate Vice President, Science and Community Partnerships, Office of Education and Training, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

  Peggy O’Neil Skinner, Educator and Curriculum Developer, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

  Who Should Attend: All educators are invited! This includes K-12 teachers (Science, STEM, CTE), instructional coaches, TOSAs, principals, and district leaders.

  Registration Information: Please register via the Washington State Science Teachers (WSTA) Event Calendar. Link: WSTA-Washington Science Teachers Association - Events  A Zoom link will be sent to you after registration.

  Clock Hours: For questions regarding clock hours, please contact Don Pruett, WSTA Professional Development Coordinator, at puyalluppruett@gmail.com.

  
  

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