Are you ready to Ignite Curiosity and Cultivate Science Learners for a Lifetime?? Then get planning to attend our 2026 Annual Conference! This year's theme is intended to help teachers reach a variety of students through a variety of avenues. Think A.I., awe, multilingual learners, and equity for all.  

SPECIAL THIS YEAR - guest speakers!

 Dr. Christine Royce (NSTA Past President) will be here sharing all her knowledge of Artificial Intelligence usage in the classroom and beyond!

Dr. Jamie Porter is on the Space Environmental Effects Engineering team at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). APL is the lead group for the Lunar Innovation Consortium which works directly with NASA on current lunar initiatives. 

Conference Session Strands:

Teaching Science in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

• Using A.I. to teach and design pedagogical approaches and to assess students in the science classroom.
• How to appropriately use A.I. and understanding the ethics of both student and teacher A.I. usage in the science classroom.
• Using A.I. to instill critical thinking skills in the student’s learning and reporting process.

Transformative Approaches to Cultivate Awe, Wonder, and Questions.

• Using wonder, awe, and curiosity to spark deeper engagement and student sense-making.
• Implementing three-dimensional instruction around real-world phenomena using routines and strategies.
• Making meaningful connections between classroom science, student’s everyday experiences and workforce readiness.

Innovation, Access, and Education for Diverse Learners.

• Innovative, inclusive instructional strategies that leverage phenomena-based learning, language scaffolds, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and assistive technologies to increase access for ML students and students with IEPs and 504 plans without reducing rigor.
• Asset-based approaches to multilingual science education that position students’ home languages, cultural experiences, and diverse ways of knowing as strengths in scientific discourse, modeling, argumentation, and collaboration.
• Systems and classroom structures that promote equitable access, including co-teaching models, strategic accommodations and modifications, collaborative planning between general and special educators, and progress monitoring practices that ensure compliance while centering student identity, agency, and belonging.

Interested in sharing your knowledge and experiences with conference attendees? 

SUBMIT YOUR SESSION PROPOSAL HERE

Proposal submissions are due by April 19th.

You will be contacted by the end of May on whether or not your proposal was selected. 

Conference Schedule:

Registration and Continental Breakfast: 7:30 - 9:00

Morning Sessions: 8:30 - 11:30

A general workshop session will be presented during each lunch hour on artificial intelligence. (same workshop repeated during both lunches)

Lunch A (provided): 11:30 - 12:20

Lunch B (provided): 12:30 - 1:20

Afternoon Sessions: 1:30 - 3:30

Free Raffle: 3:30 - 4:00

Exhibit Hall Open: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm

Commercial and Noncommercial Exhibitors

You can be a part of the ISTA State Conference. Reasonable rates include registration for two, electric, covered table, chairs, breakfast and lunch. See registration button for more information on options for session presentations and fees assocaited.

Click HERE to register for the conference