Cultivating Curious Classrooms: Our Fall 2026 Conference Lineup
Cultivating Critical Thinkers, Collaborators, and Communicators — One Investigation at a Time
Science classrooms are changing fast, and educators are being asked to do more than ever: integrate new standards, personalize instruction, and prepare students with skills that go far beyond content recall. Districts and lawmakers across the country are also debating how — and whether — AI belongs in the classroom, scrambling to write guardrails for a technology that's evolving faster than policy can keep up. Major districts like New York City and Los Angeles have already moved to restrict student AI use, while others weigh the tradeoffs of pulling back versus leaning in.
Amid all of that change, one thing hasn't: students still need to know how to think critically, work through problems with others, and communicate what they've learned — skills no tool can replace. At Activate Learning, we believe the answer isn't a new gadget or a scripted worksheet — it's giving teachers curricula and support built for real classrooms, where students investigate phenomena, argue from evidence, and work through problems together. For a deeper look at what that approach means in practice, see our post on what investigation-centered science is and how it fosters hands-on STEM education.
That's why our team is hitting the road again this fall, bringing our investigation-centered, NGSS-aligned programs —OpenSciEd K-12, PRIME K-5, IQWST 6-8, Integrated Physics and Chemistry™, and EarthComm — to science education conferences across the country. Wherever you teach and whatever stage of implementation you're in, we want to help you build a classroom culture where critical thinking, collaboration, and communication aren't add-ons to the science lesson — they are the science lesson.
We'd love to connect with you this fall. Here's where to find us.
Fall 2026 Science Education Conference Schedule 
Metropolitan Detroit Science Teachers Association Conference
October 3, 2026 | Clinton Township, MI
The Metropolitan Detroit Science Teachers Association brings together educators from across southeast Michigan for a day of professional learning. Stop by and talk with our team about bringing hands-on, phenomena-based instruction into your classroom.
Stay tuned for the Activate Learning session schedule!
Activate Learning Sessions:
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- Building Thinkers, Not Just Drawers: Modeling Across the K-8 Classroom
Presenter: Cheryl Czarnik
Date & Time: Saturday, October 3rd 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: 103A
- Building Thinkers, Not Just Drawers: Modeling Across the K-8 Classroom
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- Productive Talk, Every Voice: Structuring Discourse for Sense-Making in 6-12 Science
Presenter: Cheryl Czarnik
Date & Time: Saturday, October 3rd 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room: 103A
- Productive Talk, Every Voice: Structuring Discourse for Sense-Making in 6-12 Science
New Hampshire Science Teachers' Association
2026 Science Education Conference
October 8, 2026 | Pembroke, NH
New Hampshire science educators gather each fall to share practice and explore new resources. We'll be there to talk through what investigation-centered instruction looks like at every grade band.
NATS 2026 Fall Conference
October 8 - 10, 2026 | Lincoln, NE
The Nebraska Science Teachers Association's fall conference is a great opportunity to dig into curriculum choices with the Activate Learning team and see how our programs support Nebraska's science standards. We can't wait to see you there!
Stay tuned for the Activate Learning session schedule!
Activate Learning Session:
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- Storyline in Motion: OpenSciEd Routines That Work
Presenter: Jodi Bahr
Date & Time: Friday, October 9, 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM
Room: EDU Main Floor: Pronghorn ClassroomPuzzling phenomena drive OpenSciEd storylines, and five key routines help students advance through them toward 3-dimensional learning. Experience these routines as both student and teacher, then leave ready to teach a 3-dimensional lesson in your own classroom!
- Storyline in Motion: OpenSciEd Routines That Work
Virginia Science Education Leadership Association (VSELA)
October 20 - 21, 2026 | Richmond, VA
Virginia Science Education Leadership Association members will find us ready to talk implementation support, professional learning, and how to build a district-wide culture of inquiry. We hope to see you in Richmond!
New Jersey Science Convention
October 20 - 21, 2026 | Princeton, NJ
One of the largest state science teacher gatherings in the country, the New Jersey Science Convention is where we'll be showcasing how our programs help students build understanding through direct experience with phenomena. We'll see you there to inspire the next generation of scientists!
Activate Learning Session:
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- OpenSciEd K-12: Addressing Key Challenges
Presenter: Ron Antinori
Date & Time: Wednesday, October 21, 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Room: Henry
- OpenSciEd K-12: Addressing Key Challenges
2026 FAST Conference
October 22-24, 2026 | Orlando, FL
The Florida Association of Science Teachers conference draws educators from across the state. Come see how Activate Learning curricula help students construct explanations and communicate their thinking like scientists. We'll see you in Orlando!
Activate Learning Sessions: To Be Confirmed
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- The OpenSciEd Instructional Model: Routines for Advancing Students Through a Storyline
In OpenSciEd students are presented puzzling phenomena to elicit questions that motivate the learning. Students advance through a unit storyline; the instructional model takes advantage of five routines—activities that play specific roles in advancing the storyline to support sensemaking.
Presenter: Andrew Whittet
Time & Location: TBC
- The OpenSciEd Instructional Model: Routines for Advancing Students Through a Storyline
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NSTA National Conference in Indianapolis
November 4 - 7, 2026 | Indianapolis, IN.
Science and STEM education are never still, and neither are the educators who teach them, inspire them, and reimagine their future every day. Join us in Indianapolis — a city where speed meets spirit — for NSTA's preeminent professional learning event of the fall, with four days of thought-provoking sessions, interactive workshops, and meaningful connections.
The Activate Learning team will be there in force, sharing fresh ideas and hands-on tools to help you elevate your practice, whether you're nurturing discovery in the classroom or leading at the district level.
Activate Learning will have plenty of workshop sessions, activities, and networking events, so stay tuned for updates!
Activate Learning Sessions: Thursday, November 5th
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- Transforming Elementary Science: How OpenSciEd Brings 3-Dimensional Teaching & Learning to Life
Presented By: Tammy Shippert and Brian Klaft
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Location: Room 204
Description:
Transform your elementary science program with OpenSciEd Elementary, now available through Activate Learning. By leveraging the principles of inquiry-based learning, OpenSciEd Elementary empowers young learners to explore scientific concepts through real-world phenomena, sparking curiosity and fostering a lifelong love for science. As a certified OpenSciEd partner, Activate Learning is here to help your team make the shifts to 3-dimensional teaching and learning. In this session, come see what makes us different! We’ll engage like students and learn deeper as educators. Additional supports and resources will be shared to help anyone return to the classroom with a plethora of resources and support.
- Transforming Elementary Science: How OpenSciEd Brings 3-Dimensional Teaching & Learning to Life
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- Making Student Thinking Visible: Supporting and Assessing 3-Dimensional Sensemaking with OpenSciEd
Presented By: Brian Klaft
Time: 10:50 AM - 11:50 AM
Location: Room 204
Description:
The Framework calls for an assessment system that supports teacher autonomy and multiple ways for students to demonstrate their ability to reason with the three dimensions. In OpenSciEd, assessments are embedded in the unit, options include self- and peer-assessment, and multi-component tasks. This shift to OSE provides students with 3-dimensional opportunities to work through and demonstrate their use of science practices, application of crosscutting concepts, and understanding of science content. In this session, come see what makes us different! Participants will learn about the elements of three-dimensional assessments, analyze assessments with student work, and become familiar with the OSE Assessment System and OSE Grading Planning Tool, which we’ll explore both lesson-level and Unit-level assessment approaches to supporting all students’ sense-making through the learnings. - Ideas in Motion: Using Discussion to Build Scientific Understanding in a High School OpenSciEd Classroom
Presented By: Tammy Shippert
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Location: Room 204
Description:
Classroom communities make sense of scientific phenomena through discussion. Purposeful talk is essential for drawing out student ideas, negotiating and refining those ideas, and supporting communication in scientific ways. This session focuses on the discussion types used in OpenSciEd high school classrooms to support 3-dimensional sensemaking. In this session, come see what makes us different! Participants will explore how discussion helps connect science and engineering practices with disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, making student thinking visible and actionable.
- Making Student Thinking Visible: Supporting and Assessing 3-Dimensional Sensemaking with OpenSciEd
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- Activate Learning Virtual Investigations™: Virtual Labs That Extend OpenSciEd Learning
Presented By: Tammy Shippert and Lisa Sheean
Time: 2:20 PM - 3:20 PM
Location: Room 204
Description:
Activate Learning Virtual Investigations™ bring interactive, curriculum-aligned OpenSciEd labs to life anytime, anywhere. Designed to complement hands-on investigations, these virtual labs support students who miss a lab, need extra practice, or benefit from reviewing key concepts before assessments, helping them return to class ready to engage in sensemaking. Join us as we share how Activate Learning Virtual Investigations™ increase access to phenomena, support diverse learners, and make it easier to keep all students moving forward, even when a teacher is absent and a substitute teacher is leading the class!
- Activate Learning Virtual Investigations™: Virtual Labs That Extend OpenSciEd Learning
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- Measure Student Understanding with Insight™ Science Assessments
Presented By: Tammy Shippert and Lisa Sheean
Time: 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM
Location: Room 204
Description:
Activate Learning Insight™ middle school science assessments are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and available on the Activate Learning Digital Platform. Insight™ offers hundreds of pre-made science assessments to help teachers evaluate student understanding across NGSS Performance Expectations and Disciplinary Core Ideas. Teachers save time grading with automatic scoring for multiple choice questions and AI-assisted scoring and feedback for constructed response. Come see how our new Insight™ Guided Practice activities help students develop an understanding of key concepts through meaningful interaction with the content.
- Measure Student Understanding with Insight™ Science Assessments
Iowa STEM Summit 2026
November 6, 2026 | Des Moines, IA
The Iowa STEM Summit brings together educators focused on integrated, hands-on STEM instruction — a natural fit for our investigation-centered approach to science teaching and learning.
Activate Learning Sessions: To Be Confirmed
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- Spark Student’s Questions With Anchoring Phenomena and Driving Question Boards
Presenter: Andrew Whittet
Date & Time: November 6, TBC
Location: TBC
- Spark Student’s Questions With Anchoring Phenomena and Driving Question Boards
Colorado Science Conference 2026
November 6, 2026 | Denver, CO
Colorado science educators gather for a day of professional learning and networking. We'll be on hand to talk about supporting three-dimensional teaching and learning in Colorado classrooms. We'll see you in Denver!
California Science Education Conference 2026
November 6 - 8, 2026 | Sacramento, CA
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The California Association of Science Educators' annual conference is a cornerstone event for us. Look for our team hosting sessions and demonstrations on building equitable, phenomena-driven classrooms.
Stay tuned for the Activate Learning session schedule!
LSTA-LATM Joint Annual Conference
November 12 - 13, 2026 | Baton Rouge, LA
Louisiana Science Teachers Association and Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics educators will find us ready to talk curriculum, implementation, and professional learning support.
Activate Learning Sessions: To Be Confirmed
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- From Models to Words: Literacy in K-5 OpenSciEd
Presenter: Stephanie Valli
Date & Time: TBC
Location: TBC
- From Models to Words: Literacy in K-5 OpenSciEd
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- Storyline in Motion: OpenSciEd Routines That Work
Presenter: Stephanie Valli
Date & Time: TBC
Location: TBC
- Storyline in Motion: OpenSciEd Routines That Work
CAST 2026 Annual Conference
November 12 - 13, 2026 | Houston, TX
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The Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching is Texas's premier science education event, and our team will be there sharing how our programs support Texas educators in building student-driven classrooms.
Check back soon for the Activate Learning session times!
NISE Fall Conference - Northern Illinois Science Educators
November 16, 2026 | Naperville, IL
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The Northern Illinois Science Educators conference is a chance to connect with our team about bringing investigation-centered instruction to Illinois classrooms.
Check back soon for the Activate Learning session information!
Minnesota Science Teachers Association Conference
November 19 - 21, 2026 | Mankato, MN
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Minnesota Science Teachers Association's annual conference brings educators together from across the state. Stop by our booth to see our programs in action and talk through your district's science instruction goals. We'll see you in Mankato!
ASTA 2026 Annual Conference
December 3 - 4, 2026 | Mesa, AZ
We'll close out the fall conference season with the Arizona Science Teachers Association, connecting with educators about hands-on, standards-aligned science instruction as the calendar turns toward 2027.
Stay tuned for the Activate Learning session schedule!
See You This Fall
Whether you're just getting started with NGSS or ready to deepen your practice with inclusive, student-centered science instruction, our team is here to support you every step of the way. Come find us at a conference near you this October, November, or December — we'd love to talk about how Activate Learning can help your students think critically, collaborate meaningfully, and communicate like scientists.
Can't make it to one of these events? Reach out to our team anytime to learn more about our K-12 investigation-centered science programs and professional learning services
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