May 6-7 in Alexandria, VA

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2024 NSF ITEST Principal Investigator Meeting

Innovating Equitable STEM Learning for the Future Technological Workforce

May 6-7, 2024 - Alexandria, Virginia

Meeting Theme

This year's ITEST PI Meeting theme is Innovating Equitable STEM Learning for the Future Technological Workforce. We will engage the ITEST community in workshops designed to unpack project work through the lens of the three ITEST pillars:

  1. Innovative Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning,
  2. Partnerships for Career and Workforce Preparation, and
  3. Strategies for Equity in STEM Education. 

Projects will participate in interactive community sessions as we rotate through discussions for each of the three ITEST pillars. These sessions will include activities designed to:

  • explore how active research and development projects implement the ITEST pillars, 
  • reflect on what this looks like across grade bands, and
  • examine the discoveries and challenges common within each grade band that would be beneficial to both the project and field to discuss

The sessions each day will focus on capturing project and partner perspectives. To ensure all voices are represented it is important that projects plan to include a partner who is active in the project’s implementation—practitioners, community, and/or industry partners are encouraged to attend.  

Meeting Agenda

 Sessions marked with this symbol were livestreamed and recorded.

Monday, May 6, 2024

Start Time

Description

7:30 AM ET 

Registration and Light Refreshments

8:30 AM ET 

Welcome and Opening Remarks

  • NSF Program Director Wu He & Co-Director Chia Shen
  • NSF DRL Acting Division Director Monya Ruffin
  • NSF Directorate for STEM Education Assistant Director James L. Moore
9:00 AM ET

ITEST Portfolio Address by Dr. Wu He, ITEST Program Director   

9:15 AM ET 

Megan Bang Keynote and Q&A   Access slides.

Keynote speaker Megan Bang, Professor of the Learning Sciences and Director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University, addressed the ITEST community and answer questions from in-person and remote audiences.

9:45 AM ET 

Orientation to breakout sessions

10:00 AM ET 

Break

10:20 AM ET 

Breakouts: Pillar 1 - Innovative Use of Technology

12:00 PM ET 

Lunch

1:00 PM ET 

Breakouts: Pillar 2 - Partnerships for Career and Workforce Preparation

2:30 PM ET 

Break

3:00 PM ET 

Breakouts: Pillar 3 - Strategies for Equity

4:30 PM ET 

Break and Preparing for Poster and Tech Exhibitions

5:00 PM ET 

Poster Exhibition and Reception

 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Start

Description

7:30 AM ET 

Breakfast and Recap of Day 1

8:15 AM ET 

Keynote   and Q&A   Access slides.

Keynote speaker Jacob Martinez, founder and CEO of Digital NEST, delivered a keynote address and answered questions from the in-person and remote audiences. 

8:45 AM ET 

Day 2 Overview

9:00 AM ET 

Share Out: Big Ideas from ITEST Pillars

Pillar 1: Innovative use of Technology

Pillar 2: Partnerships for Career and Workforce Preparation

Pillar 3: Strategies for Equity

10:25 AM ET 

Break

10:40 AM ET 

Birds of a Feather Breakouts

11:40 AM ET 

Lunch

12:20 PM ET 

Voices from the Community Panel

 

1:30 PM ET 

Break

1:45 PM ET 

Program Presentations

Presentations by:

2:45 PM ET 

Town Hall

3:15 PM ET 

Next Steps and Adjourn

3:30 PM ET 

Informal office hours with NSF POs

 

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Optional legislative visits.

ITEST Project Expo

On Monday, May 6, at 5 PM we will host the ITEST Project Expo. During this session, ITEST projects will either present a research poster or share a technology demonstration.

During the ITEST Project Expo, participants can explore different project stations to experience demonstrations, interactives, posters, videos. and/or artifacts from project work. The expo will feature the following projects and presenters.

Projects should plan to set up their poster/technology demonstrations between 4:30-5:00 pm. The expo will be held from 5-6 pm with light refreshments. All projects participating in the expo will have additional instructions sent by email.

Poster guidelines: 

  • Each project poster will be assigned half of a round table in the main ballroom.
  • Tri-fold presentation boards and supplies to attach poster materials will be provided. The boards are 48 inches wide and 36 inches high.

Technology demo guidelines: 

  • Each technology demo will be assigned one (6 ft) rectangular table in the foyer.
  • Each station will have a power supply available.

 

2024 PI Meeting Project Summaries

One page project summaries are useful resources during PI meetings—and beyond! For this year's meeting, projects were invited to created a one page submission to be used to create both a printed booklet and an online searchable database. We invite you to visit the PI Meeting Project Summary Library. Search, filter, explore and add your comments to these pages to engage with your colleagues! Feel free to also download the booklet.

Visit the Project Summary Library

 

The deadline for the printed booklet has passed, but projects can still add to the library! To submit a Project Summary to the database:

  1. Log in to the STELAR ITEST Community Page. All active project PIs have been set up with a STELAR account. If you need to reset your username or password please do so here: https://stelar.edc.org/user/password 

  2. If you are not the project PI or do not already have an account, please fill out this form to create one. 

  3. Once logged in, fill out this form with your project’s information, including one photo. 

Meeting Logistics FAQs

2024 NSF ITEST PI Meeting

Please see below for frequently asked questions about registration and live streaming, pre-meeting networking on Slack, and event logistics. If you have a question we haven't addressed, please email us at stelar@edc.org.

PARTICIPATION

Can I participate remotely?

In-person meeting registration is closed. We invite you to join us via live stream by registering here

Please see the detailed agenda for a schedule of the live stream sessions, identified with the camera symbol .

The live stream will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing after the event concludes.

PRE-MEETING NETWORKING on SLACK

How can I connect with other attendees before the event on Slack?

To maximize the time we have for the in-person event, we are using a Slack workspace to make introductions and learn about each other beforehand. 

To get started, you'll need to create an account using the invitation link you received via email. Once you're logged in, you can join channels for your grade band, posters/expos, and connect with new PIs, send messages, and start collaborating with your team. If you need assistance, please email the STELAR team at stelar@edc.org. We will be glad to help you join our 2024 NSF PI Meeting Slack group.

Any additional tips for using Slack effectively?

Remember to use @mentions to notify specific team members, use emojis and reactions to express yourself, and keep channels organized by archiving or leaving channels that are no longer relevant to you.

In the days ahead of the meeting, log into our Slack workspace and read about other attendees' projects. Send a quick note to anyone you'd like to connect with in-person during the meeting.

EVENT LOGISTICS

Where is the event taking place?

The meeting will take place at the Westin Alexandria Hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. 
Hotel Address:
The Westin Alexandria
400 Courthouse Sq., Alexandria, VA, 22314

Hotel Website 
Phone: 703-253-8600

Valet parking is available at an average rate of $40 per day. 

The Westin Alexandria is approximately 4.5 miles (20 minutes) from the Reagan National Airport and 0.5 miles (4 minutes) from the Alexandria Union Station.

For comprehensive ground transportation information please visit the Westin Transportation link.

What if I need to ship something to the conference?

You may ship posters and materials to yourself at the hotel using the following information: 

   (First Name) (Last Name), Guest arriving (date) 
   THE WESTIN ALEXANDRIA OLD TOWN
   400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA  22314

Who can I contact on the day of the conference if I need immediate assistance?

If you need immediate assistance on site, please call Amy Lozen at 734-645-9665. 

 

What is the attire for the event?

The attire for this event will be "business casual." 

Spring in DC can be unpredictable, but we expect that the hotel’s meeting rooms will be on the cooler side. Be sure to dress in layers as the temperature will likely vary throughout the day as we move from plenary to breakouts and back. 

How do I get to Alexandria, VA?

The Alexandria area is serviced by the Reagan National Airport (Airport Code: DCA) and the Alexandria Union Station (Amtrak Code: ALX). 

What can I explore in the area?

For things to do, amazing restaurants, history, and more, visit https://www.visitalexandriava.com/

What COVID precautions should I take?

The team will have masks available at the registration desk for those who would like to wear one while attending the event.

While attending the in-person event, we are asking all convening attendees to stay home if you are feeling sick. We also ask that you do not attend or participate in the convening if you meet any of the following:

  • You have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not completed the CDC’s guidelines for discontinuing isolation.
  • You are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
  • You have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and you
  • have not completed the quarantine guidelines recommended by the CDC.

Please email us at stelar@edc.org if you have any questions about the meeting that are not addressed here.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the ITEST NSF program officers, our Advisory Committee, and our team for their insights and input. 

Advisory Committee Members

Tilanka Chandrasekera, Oklahoma State University
Theodore Chao, Ohio State University
Chris Crawford, University of Alabama
Katherine Culp, NY Hall of Science
Kathy Eller, East Bay Educational Collaborative of Rhode Island
Sherry Hsi, BSCS Science Learning
Chad Lane, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Victor Minces, University of San Diego
Lynda McGilvary, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Kate Popejoy, Popejoy STEM LLC
Ann Renninger, Swarthmore
Colby Tofel-Grehl, Utah State University

NSF ITEST Program Officers

Wu He, ITEST Program Lead, NSF
Chia Shen, ITEST Program Co-Lead, NSF
Jennifer Noll, Program Officer 

Arlene de Strulle, Program Officer

Kevin Clark, Program Officer
Toni Dancstep, Program Officer

FengFeng Ke, Program Officer

Deena Khalil, Program Officer

Melissa Luna, Program Officer

Bob Russell, Program Officer

Alicia Santiago Gonzalez, Program Officer

Jon Singer, Program Officer

Lynn Tran, Program Officer

Joan Walker, Program Officer

Amy Wilson Lopez, Program Officer

STELAR Team, Event Planners, and Evaluators

Sarita Pillai, Principal Investigator
Joyce Malyn-Smith, Co-PI
Sarah MacGillivray, Project Director
Mary Beth Piecham, Research Lead
Suhina Minocha, Project Staff
Melody Hackey, Project Staff
Bronwyn Taggart, Project Staff
Morgan Easterly, Project Staff
Beatriz Perret, Project Staff
Mary Forbuss, Project Staff
Amy Lozen, Meeting Services
Angie Hibbler, Meeting Services
Christopher Cox, Evaluator, The Rucks Group 
Maggie Jaeger, Evaluator, The Rucks Group