When encouraged to lead, teachers lean into what they know best: their students

Brittany Stephens was on the lookout for an old-fashioned rotary phone over the summer.  No stranger to kindergarteners or the classroom, Stephens is confident that having the clunky relic on hand will help kindergarten students in her classroom grasp the concepts of then and now.  “Being encouraged to think creatively and find the tools I […]

Creating time and space for collaborative school change

Mistakes are easy to make, and often hard to accept, but sixth grader Valeria Rodriguez is getting more comfortable knowing she’s not always going to have the right answer. “When I was younger, making mistakes made me a little anxious because I thought I did something wrong,” says Valeria. “But now I know that if […]

Champion for equitable education, May honored with Ethic of Service Award

May leads Institute for School Partnership, leader in STEM education and teacher development You may not know her name, but the superintendent of your child’s school district certainly does.  For decades, Victoria May, executive director of the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis, has worked with local educators to create high-quality, equitable education […]

ISP Associate Director Rachel Ruggirello receives national recognition for significant contributions to STEM education in the St. Louis region

Rachel Ruggirello, associate director of the Institute for School Partnership at Washington University in St. Louis, is the 2022 recipient of the Outstanding Administrative Support Award by the National Science Education Leadership Association (NSELA). The award is given annually to honor one educator who is working outside the classroom at school, district and city/county levels […]

Pivoting & Partnering: ISP’s response to help educators in the face of COVID-19

There was a lot to be excited about. A trip to partner with teachers in Uganda. Promoting an upcoming speaker series. Planning a water workshop. Prepping for professional development sessions. But in mid-March, with fears growing over the coronavirus, the pause button was  pressed on normal life, halting everyday activities, shuttering offices and closing schools. […]

mySci Summer Professional Development Institutes 

We are excited to share our summer professional development offerings for mySci educators. Sessions are open to mySci teachers as well as administrators in mySci districts. Would you like to grow your science instructional practice this summer? Choose the professional growth option that suits your needs and aligns with your PD goals.  Intro to YOUR mySci: […]

Sunlight Makes Colors Fade

Activity:  Have you ever noticed that sunlight makes colors fade? Gather brightly colored paper, several pennies or other shapes like legos or building blocks. Find a spot outside that gets several hours of sunlight and arrange them to form a pattern or design. Wait 4-6 hours and then remove the pennies or blocks and observe […]

Are All Seeds the Same?

Activity:  Using a packet of mixed wildflower seeds or bird seed, ask your child to sort the seeds by properties they observe. Maybe they can sort the seeds by size, by color, or by shape. Count how many different kinds of seeds there are. Safety Tip: Some seeds can be eaten, like sunflower seeds, but all […]