In this workshop, science teachers will learn how to use student-created zines as a no-cost formative assessment strategy that engages learners at all levels. A zine is a small, self-published booklet, made from a single sheet of paper, that combines writing and visuals to communicate ideas.

Participants will explore how zines can be used to assess student understanding across science topics. By blending creative design with science content, zines make student thinking visible in ways traditional assessments may not. Teachers will leave with practical ideas and ready-to-use prompts for implementing zines as checks for understanding in their classrooms.

In this workshop, participants will have a chance to refresh their knowledge of Geometrical Optics, which has recently become a part of the New York State Physics Regents curriculum. Organized in a Teacher Mode – Student Mode form, the workshop will allow the participants to try their hand in constructing the images of the objects in converging and diverging lenses, as well as plane, convex and concave mirrors. Participants will explore available computer simulations and build the physical demonstrations of the Geometrical Optics phenomena. Finally, the workshop participants will work on the available Physics Regents Cluster on Geometrical Optics, and attempt to create their own cluster consistent with the three-dimensional assessment requirements.

Description to be announced.

Drawing from experience at Mindset Math, this session showcases what becomes possible when high school students partner directly with STEM educators, researchers, and organizations to redesign learning together. The presentation highlights how young people leverage professional mentorship, community partnerships, and cross-site collaboration to create reliable, joyful, and research-informed STEM learning programs, while simultaneously contributing a fresh youth perspective to professional work. Building on these experiences, the session shares concrete classroom examples—including movement-based combinatorics, structured collaborative problem-solving, and context-driven statistics—that demonstrate how format and problem design shape student ownership. Participants will explore practical ways to make math more participatory and relevant without lowering rigor, and reflect on how student voice can thoughtfully inform instructional design.

This workshop is designed to help teachers introduce CAD (Computer-Aided Design) by starting with simple, hands-on paper modeling. By first creating physical models using basic materials like paper, tape, and scissors, students develop foundational spatial reasoning and learn to visualize objects from multiple angles—essential skills for CAD. This approach makes CAD accessible and meaningful for students by connecting hands on creative experiences with digital design. Teachers will leave the workshop with strategies to use physical prototypes to teach CAD skills, helping students understand the connection between real-world modeling and digital design tools.

This dynamic workshop reveals the neuroscience behind happiness and equips educators with evidence-based strategies to implement immediately. Through an interactive neurotransmitter sorting game, participants learn how dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins shape well-being and which simple classroom practices activate these “happiness chemicals.” The session explores five research-backed “rewirements” (signature strengths, gratitude mirroring, kindness practices, exercise/sleep optimization, and meditation). Educators will receive ready-to-use tools, including a comprehensive neurotransmitters classroom guide, a rewirements one-pager, and complete slide decks to share with colleagues.

In this workshop, participants learn briefly about the history of the space program and receive information on what constitutes a rocket and what makes it fly. The session examines Newton’s Laws of Motion and their relation to flight. Teachers have the opportunity to design, build, and test their own straw rockets while working with a variety of variables. A straw rocket launcher using pneumatic air force is used to demonstrate how pressure builds up in the sealed straw to launch the rocket.

Pi day offers an opportunity to show students how computer science serves as a tool for solving math and science problems. This workshop reviews a p5.js javascript-based hour of code activity from the STEMcoding project where students use a random number generator and geometry skills to calculate the digits of pi. Note: A laptop or tablet with a keyboard is required. The session also covers how the random function works in p5.js generally and how it can be used to teach a variety of science and math concepts.

Description to be announced.

Attendants of this workshop will make several working scientific instruments from a sheet of paper. The workshop participants will learn how to introduce each instrument at an elementary, middle or high school levels. Such tools could be used as a visual aid, a student activity or a discussion focus during conventional, “substitute” and enrichment lessons.

Traditional circuitry often stops at the breadboard, but real-world engineering is increasingly flexible, wearable, and integrated into daily life. In this intensive, hands-on masterclass for secondary educators, the workshop moves beyond basic “point-to-point” wiring to explore the sophisticated world of Soft-Circuitry and E-Textiles.

Participants engage in a high-level engineering challenge: designing a hybrid system that bridges rigid and flexible substrates. The session analyzes the physics of resistance in conductive threads versus copper traces, explores the mechanics of “soft” switches, and discusses how to integrate these concepts into advanced Physics, Art, and Engineering curricula.

What You Will Experience:

• Material Analysis: Participants compare the conductivity and durability of stainless steel thread, copper foil, and conductive adhesives.
• The Hybrid Build: Participants engineer a functional wearable badge that utilizes parallel circuitry and integrated textile sensors.
• Pedagogy of Debugging: Participants master advanced troubleshooting strategies for non-traditional circuits—turning “failure” into a rigorous learning moment for students.
• The “Final Product”: Participants walk away with a portfolio-ready wearable prototype and a robust framework for implementing “Engineering for Social Good” units in the classroom.

BioBus helps K-12 and college students discover, explore, and pursue science, specifically focusing on students excluded from the scientific community due to factors such as race, gender, economic status, and physical access. Students connect with scientists from diverse backgrounds, learn lab and research skills, and practice science communication. The program offers introductory science labs aboard mobile labs at schools, along with after-school, weekend, summer programs, and internships. The initiative operates city-wide with a specific focus on Harlem, the Bronx, and the Lower East Side.

As AI becomes part of students’ daily lives, teachers have a powerful opportunity to help them use it thoughtfully and critically. This session breaks down what AI is, why it matters for young learners, and what questions and concerns (like bias, privacy, accuracy, and ethics) are important to raise in class. It examines ways to integrate AI conversations and activities into everyday instruction, explores emerging frameworks that support lesson design, and shares resources and student-friendly tools for responsible engagement. Participants leave with language, materials, and strategies that build curiosity, critical thinking, and student agency in an AI-driven world.

Giving students the ability to create with simple tools not only enhances their spatial abilities but also enables them to produce impressive work. Since current middle school math initiatives often lack space for art and design, this session integrates Humanities, Art, and Math to create beautiful work. The workshop samples labyrinths (including a 20 ft square pandemic-made Labyrinth), mandalas, Islamic design, and tessellations. Attendees walk a gigantic labyrinth and create their own. Class materials and a slideshow are shared, with connections to standards and time for discussion included. Participants create rectangular slide tessellations and practice using compasses and compass hacks, supporting STEAM Math/Science skill building and the sixth-grade ancient history curriculum.

Description to be announced.

The session addresses the problem that understanding “how it works” is not enough to motivate students without understanding “what it’s for.” It connects laws, principles, and key concepts of science to outcomes. After reviewing practice examples, attendees divide into groups to discuss and share topics. The workshop proposes a shift from details to main ideas, rewiring the thinking process to focus on purpose and application.

Description to be announced.

Using the lens of the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, this session analyzes a model lesson on infusing indigenous knowledge and narratives into teaching the Sun-Earth-Moon system (NGSS MS-ESS1-1). Participants then consider how to modify or augment their current lessons to include equity-focused teaching and learning in the Science Classroom.

BioBus helps K-12 and college students discover, explore, and pursue science, specifically focusing on students excluded from the scientific community due to factors such as race, gender, economic status, and physical access. Students connect with scientists from diverse backgrounds, learn lab and research skills, and practice science communication. The program offers introductory science labs aboard mobile labs at schools, along with after-school, weekend, summer programs, and internships. The initiative operates city-wide with a specific focus on Harlem, the Bronx, and the Lower East Side.

This presentation showcases the new 17-minute documentary Dr. Fried and the Peptides, which spotlights the work of Dr. Daniel Fried and his “Biochemistry Literacy Summer Institute,” a camp uniting a robust and diverse online community of learners. The film premieres in film festivals nationally in 2026. The Director and Film Subjects will attend for a spirited post-film conversation.

Description to be announced.

Description to be announced.

Description to be announced.