KAS is happy to announce a new grant opportunity: we are funding K-12 classroom grants for the 2021-22 school year. Individual science teachers or teams of teachers are encouraged to apply before the September 30 deadline. Full set of instructions and application can be found at our website. http://www.kansasacademyscience.org/educator-grant.html.

Information from Jill Fisher at Wichita State University

 

In the September issue:

• Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)- K-6 Cycle
• The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program is pleased to announce that nominations and applications for the 2021–2022 application cycle are open. 
• Nominate a teacher here: (Link)

• Fall Book Study- Ambitious Science Teaching
• Starting September 9, 6-7 pm CT, College Credit available! PD Credits available! To register: (Link)

• Call for KSDE Teacher Leaders!
• A teacher leader has demonstrated expertise with strategies, methods, and trends in education in Humanities and/or STEM.  The teacher leader is collaborative, knowledgeable, and evidence based.   Additional skill in dynamic presentation is a plus. Link to interest form: (Link)

• Fall Conferences- Save the dates and more!
•  
• Reminders for Collaboration: 
• Science Curriculum Leaders Collaboration, September 21st, 4pm (Registration Link)
• Science Teacher Collaboration, September 15th at 4pm (Registration Link)

Art Auction Fundraiser—November 6, 2021, 1:00-3:00pm at The Barn at Kill Creek

Farm, Desoto, Kansas

Proceeds will go to the Wendell G. Mohling Foundation to be used to support Kansas

Science Teachers.

Kay Neill, President

Are you a K-12 Kansas teacher who currently teaches science? Would you like the opportunity to apply

for funds so that you could experience attending a National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

Conference this year? In 2006, the Wendell G. Mohling Foundation began selecting a teacher each year,

to receive a $1000.00 scholarship award to attend a NSTA conference of their choice. The application

deadline is September 24, 2021, so you still have plenty of time to complete and send in your

application. The application with requirements can be downloaded by going to the foundation website

at www.wendellmohlingfoundation.com and click on “Apply” at the top of the page.  This year there

will be 2 national NSTA conferences to choose from: March 31-April 3 in Houston, Texas and July 21-24

in Chicago, Illinois.

If a teacher has questions, he/she can contact me at neill1703@gmail.com or by phone at 1-620-342-4677

Kay Neill, Foundation Chair

We hope this newsletter (Link) finds you and yours well. This month features back to school safety, opportunities, collaboration and more!

Also included in the August issue:

 

• Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)- K-6 Cycle
  • The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program is pleased to announce that nominations and applications for the 2021–2022 application cycle are open. You are a part of over 5,100 award-winning educators and we need your help to continue to grow this network!
    
    To nominate a K–6th grade teacher for this award, complete the nomination form available on the PAEMST website and submit the teacher’s name, email address, and school contact information. You are welcome to submit multiple nominations if you know more than one teacher deserving of this award. The nomination deadline is January 7, 2022, and the application deadline is February 6, 2022. PAEMST awardees are one of the best sources of future nominations!
    
  • 
    
• Fall Professional Development
  • 3D Classroom Assessments- Where to Start?- MS & HS, August 23rd at 4pm (Registration Link)
  • Clay Circuits and Lightbulb Moments- Elementary (Repeat of August 2 Session), August 30th at 4pm (Registration Link)
    
    •  
• Fall Book Study- Ambitious Science Teaching
  • Starting August 26, 6-7 pm CT
  • Free books available for the first 20 participants who register! College Credit available! PD Credits available!
  • To register or get additional information: (Link)
  •  
• Call for KSDE Teacher Leaders and Introducing KSDE STEM
  • Recently organizational changes have occurred within the Career Standards and Assessment Services (CSAS) at the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE). Multiple disciplines are being reorganized into Humanities and STEM. The disciplines, standards, assessments, and support of great classroom instruction will continue.  KSDE will continue to do what the agency has always done -- elevate great teacher leaders. We are looking for individuals, Teacher Leaders, who are interested in joining this work.

     

    Definition of Teacher Leader:  

    A teacher leader has demonstrated expertise with strategies, methods, and trends in education in Humanities and/or STEM.  The teacher leader is collaborative, knowledgeable, and evidence based.   Additional skill in dynamic presentation is a plus.

    Link to interest form: (Link)
    
  • 
    
• Fall Conferences- Save the dates and more!

 

 

Reminders for Collaboration: 

July's Theme: Family Engagement

 

Science Curriculum Leaders Collaboration,

August 17, 4pm (Registration Link)

 

Science Teacher Collaboration,

August 18th at 4pm (Registration Link)

 

 

Thank you again and please let me know if us can help support you in any way,

Meg & Stephen

 

 

 

 

	Meg Richard, NBCT, PAEMST 19' Education Program Manager - K-12 STEM Education Career, Standards and Assessment Services (785) 296-8108 mrichard@ksde.org www.ksde.org
	Kansas leads the world in the success of each student.
The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: KSDE General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, KSDE, Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, Suite 102, Topeka, KS 66612, (785) 296-3201.

• Fall Book Study- Ambitious Science Teaching
  • Starting August 26, 6-7 pm CT
  • Free books available! College Credit available! PD Credits available!
  • To register or get additional information: (Link)

James Webb Space Telescope headlines 2021 Galaxy Forum  

From J. Steinert-- Ad Astra Kansas Foundation

Complete with its mirror (21-ft diameter),  power (7x more powerful than Hubble), type (infrared) and viewing distance  (one million miles from Earth)  the long-anticipated JWST is currently scheduled to launch in late 2021.  Sure to be a trending science topic, teachers will be ahead of the curve with a presentation by Dr. Scott Acton, of Ball Aerospace and Technologies, where part of the JWST was built. In talking about the telescope, its design and construction, the presentation will be heavy on graphics, animation and appreciation for the universe we live in.

The Galaxy Forum, sponsored by the Ad Astra Kansas Foundation, will be from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, August 21, at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson.  The event is FREE.  Students also welcome.  In-person and virtual attendance available.   For more info.  For questions or to register here.

Also, Dr. Nick Solomey of WSU will speak about how we use different types of particles to look into places we cannot see. Sarah Lamm, K-State master student in geology, will update us on that intrepid rover, Perseverance. Steve Durst, AAKF board member, will update us on a current  educational project.

Kansas secondary science and math educators can develop project-based learning alongside Emporia State University professors at the ESU Research Institute this summer. Applications are being accepted for the institute until April 30. The application is available at www.emporia.edu/research. Ten Kansas educators will be paired with ESU professors of biological sciences, applied mathematics/statistics, chemistry, earth science or physics to develop long-range research projects to engage students in relevant, authentic research during the following academic year. Those selected to participate will work with faculty on the Emporia State campus July 8 through 10 to design and develop research models appropriate for secondary science and math courses. ESU faculty will provide training and continue to serve in a research advisory capacity throughout the following academic year. The educators selected for the research institute and their students will be invited to present results at ESU’s annual Research & Creativity Day and participate in a special Black & Gold event during the following spring semester. Participants will receive a $1,200 stipend and one hour graduate credit after project submission. Funding for the institute is provided by Emporia State University alumni, Dr. Randal W. Scott (B.S. Chemistry ’79) and Eileen M. (Schmitz) Scott (B.S.E. Elementary Education ’80). For more information, visit www.emporia.edu/research.   Click on the image above to learn more about the Together, Forward campaign. 1500 Highland Street    Emporia, KS 66801    (620) 341-5440    alumni@emporia.edu              User Email Preferences           Privacy Policy

This is Randy from Inspirit AI, the artificial intelligence program for high schoolers taught by MIT and Stanford graduate students. 

 

As applications for our summer program close next Wednesday, March 31, I wanted to invite your students to apply here! Please find here our 1-page flyer, which some of you have requested. We're excited to have your students work with our team of MIT and Stanford mentors in small groups (4:1) on Zoom to learn the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and apply their learnings in a social impact project in an area they’re passionate about such as healthcare, robotics, art, political science and more!

 

If your students would like to prepare ahead of the program or just get a taste of AI, they can also check out our Basics of AI for High School Students and Building AI Projects for High School Students guides. 

 

I’ve included a program blurb below and would appreciate it if you could share it with your students from grades 9 to 12. 

 

Let me know if you have any questions, and I’d be happy to hop on a call to tell you more about Inspirit!

 

Best,

Randy

 

P.S. Read about how a school district is bringing AI to their classrooms! 

The KATS Executive Board held the regular winter meeting on the morning of Saturday Jan 23.  The main business of the meeting was planning for the annual KATS KAMP conference to be held in virtual format the weekend of April 23-25. 

Conferences will be scheduled beginning Friday Evening April 25 and concluding Sunday at noon.  Registration costs will be substantially lower than for the traditional in-person conferences.  See the "EVENTS" tab for further details as they become available.