Spring Conferences: The Conversations Shaping STEM Education
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This spring, MMSA staff carried ideas, research, and educator expertise developed in Maine into conversations taking place across the country. From local gatherings in Presque Isle to national conferences in California, they shared lessons learned through our Maine-based programs while bringing new perspectives back to the educators and communities they serve.
Whether sharing lessons from play-based learning, outdoor education, scientific research, or interdisciplinary instruction, MMSA team members helped connect Maine’s educators to ideas shaping the future of STEM learning.
Key Takeaways
For early childhood educators in northern Maine, those conversations centered on play. At the Aroostook Early Childhood Conference in Presque Isle, Maranda Chung, the Co-PI of the SciEPlay project shared strategies for helping educators recognize science and engineering in children’s everyday play experiences and create environments that nurture curiosity, exploration, and discovery in even the youngest learners.
Further south in West Gardiner, conversations focused on outdoor learning and environmental education. Members of the Teach ME Outside(opens in a new tab) team connected with educators at the Maine Environmental Education Association(opens in a new tab)‘s annual conference, sharing resources, building relationships, and creating opportunities for past participants to reconnect around ideas rooted in their own communities. These gatherings are a reminder that some of the most meaningful professional learning happens when educators have space to learn from one another.
MMSA’s work was also part of national conversations about STEM learning and educational research. At the NARST’s International Annual Conference(opens in a new tab), Heidi Cian presented research connected to MMSA’s ACRES project during a session focused on supporting youth-directed STEM learning in out-of-school settings. The presentation gave attendees a window into work happening in Maine while opening the door to exchanges with researchers and practitioners from across the country.
On the other side of the country, Shelby Dillman represented MMSA at the National Science Teaching Association Conference(opens in a new tab) in Anaheim, California. Her presentation explored ways science can serve as the foundation for interdisciplinary elementary instruction, offering practical strategies for connecting learning across subjects through meaningful, real-world scientific phenomena.
Back in Maine, MMSA hosted five STEM Socials in communities across the state, bringing in school and out-of-school educators together in casual settings to share experiences, swap ideas, and build the kind of relationships that sustain professional community over time. Attendees left with new connections and fresh perspectives drawn from the classrooms and programs in their own regions.
Each of these conversations contributes to the ideas, partnerships, and insights that drive MMSA’s professional learning, research, and STEM programs across Maine. Stay informed about upcoming events and professional learning opportunities by joining our mailing list, or explore our research and publications to learn more about our work shaping STEM education in Maine.
Photos depict MMSA staff, programs, and professional learning activities referenced in this article.