Advancing STEM Research Teaching (ASRT) Program

• ​is a multiple-day, in-person, professional development workshop focused on curriculum, activities, and guides to support high school teachers involved in providing science/STEM research opportunities for their students.
   

• is free, thanks to funding from Regeneron and Carl Zeiss Microscopy.
   

• takes place at a location that you choose, which is typically in/near your school/office or where your science fair is hosted.
   

• is typically 4 - 4.5 days of in-person professional development during the summer months, with follow-up support, as needed, via Zoom during the school year. 
  If it is held during the school year then it is typically a 3 or 4 day in-person workshop followed up by online sessions during the remainder of the school year and summer.
   

• is customized to help teachers reach their goals and overcome obstacles specific to their school/region. This includes small or medium or large schools and rural, suburban, and urban areas.
   

• has helped teachers/Fair Directors from a wide variety of states including; Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
   

• provides a curriculum filled with hundreds of activities and guides that can be customized by teachers who provide research opportunities within a traditional STEM classroom setting, or those with a small, growing research program/club, or even those with more established Science Research Programs/Clubs. These activities include not just what to do, but how and why.
  This includes activities, guides, templates, and rubrics that will help with:

  • guiding students how to decide on a research area that fits within their available time, resources, and area of interest.

  • customizing a calendar to help keep all students on task and moving forward with their STEM research projects.

  • building time management skills with students.

  • increasing students basic (foundational) and advanced knowledge, understanding and critical thinking especially focused on their chosen area of research.

  • strengthening students networking and communication skills.

  • guiding students how to prepare to reach out to local, regional, or national STEM professionals in their chosen area of research, to ask them to help as a “mentor”.

  • instructing students on how to design and write a research proposal/plan in accordance with science fair guidelines.

  • building students design and presentation skills with research papers, PowerPoints/Google Slides, and posters.

  • reviewing, critiquing, grading student presentations in all formats.

  • providing information and insight regarding all stages of the student research process and the opportunities and regulations for students to present in public, including in science fairs and other competitive/non-competitive venues.
     

• provides the hundreds of activities, tips, guides, and rubrics on a USB “thumb” drive for all participants. These are also accessible via a Google Drive folder. All activities are free to copy, edit, customize to suit the individual needs and goals of the teachers participating in the ASRT workshop.
   

• offers free, follow-up support, throughout the following year, via phone call, email, or online meetings.