ASTA Arkansas Science Teachers Association
Mission: To support Arkansas Science Educators
Summer 2023
Professional Development Opportunities
Many of the members who serve on the ASTA offer great professional development opportunities during the summer. All over the state of Arkansas educators can find an opportunity to grow in their educational experience learning from ASTA members. Check out the sessions below.
STATISTICS for TEACHERS
Use the link below to sign up using the form to reserve your spot for a Professional Development workshop.
We are very excited to offer this FREE FREE FREE workshop virtually (Zoom) and synchronously on Monday, July 31, 2023 from 8:45 AM to 4:00 PM. Each workshop will be led by the team of Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak and Dr. Whitney Holden, ASMSA's Life Science Specialists, who have a combined experience of over 25 years creating PD for Arkansas educators.
Please email with questions:
Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak - krakowiakp@asmsa.org
Dr. Whitney Holden - holdenw@asmsa.org
Advanced Biology Plus
(all year program)
What: A program funded by ADE grant that supports AP Biology teachers from across the state. We have an amazing Professional Learning Community and materials/technology/biotech expansion packs!
Who: Any AP Biology AR teacher (teachers do NOT have to be certified to teach AP, our program will certify them; teachers do NOT need resources, we will provide them)
When: Bootcamp, July 24-28, 2023 (virtual), plus 3 workshops during the year (2 virtual, 1 hands-on labs)
Cost: $100 registration fee (per teacher; no cost to students)
Environmental & Outdoor Education Conference
When: June 6 & 7, 2023
Where: Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Teaching Outside, from Pre-K to 8th grade
Monica Woods, Lake Nixon Outdoor Preschool with Jacqueline Scott, Horace Mann Magnet Middle School
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This session is geared toward traditional and non-traditional educators of all grade levels, and will focus on finding ways to incorporate the outdoors into any grade level and subject, working within current parameters of space, time and money. It will offer ideas about how to get started getting kids outdoors, how to ask for support from parents and administrators and how to find funding sources. We will share ideas for implementing fun and creative ways to get kids learning outside.
Physics and Physical Science
JUNE 13, 2023
Jones Science Center
Quachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, AR
Tuesday 6/13/23 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Led by Whitney Major, Susan Allison, and Dr. Angela Douglass
Project: Aquatic WILD
JUNE 12, 2023
Lake Degray, Heron Room
Arkadelphia, AR
Monday 6/12/23 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Presenter: Shelia Lovelady-Connerly, Project WILD Coordinator; Led by Susan Allison
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FREE Hiking and Boat Tour while learning about aquatic wildlife and ecology at Lake Degray!
Developing FUNdamentals in Physical Science and Chemistry
JUNE 15, 2023
Quachita Baptist
Jones Science Center
Chemistry Department
Arkadelphia, AR
Thursday 6/15/23 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
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Learning how to support "partially addressed" standards in both physical science and chemistry with meaning using engaging student focused learning.
Building a Windmill to Generate Cultural Diversity
July 6, 2023
Dawson Cooperative
Arkadelphia, AR
Thursday 7/6/23 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
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Participants will learn how to integrate reading with engineering in the science classroom.
15 teachers will TAKE HOME a GS Windmill Generator and 290 page Young Readers Edition of "The Boy who Harnessed the Wind."
Materials Chemistry and Physics
JUNE 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
Dawson Cooperative bldg. #5
Arkadelphia, AR
Time: 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm
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Dawson is bringing in Arkansas State Professor Dr. Fleming to do Computational Modeling for particulate level Chemistry/Physics topics. Without any background knowledge, he will walk us through ways to incorporate data about molecular activity. This would be an excellent classroom addition to demonstrate Differentiation or use as Enrichment for RTI.
Below are just a few of the many summer camps for students offered around the state of Arkansas
Summer Camps for Students
Halberg Ecology Camp for Middle Schoolers
The Arkansas Audubon Society Halberg Ecology Camp is held each June at Camp Clearfork, a U.S. Forest Service camp between Hot Springs and Mt. Ida.
In 2023, we are back to having two sessions at Camp Clearfork! Junior sessions will be held June 11-16 and 18-23, and are for students that will have just complete 5th or 6th grade at the time of camp. Senior camp is by invitation only.
STEAM Summer Camps
Scott Family Amazeum STEAM Summer Camps
Amazeum Summer Camps specialize in curiosity! The unique week-long summer camps are the perfect place to unleash your camper’s curiosity to explore and make new discoveries. Camps focus on STEAM, chemistry, ecology, and many other science fields.
Project WET'n'WILD
Project Wet‘n’Wild will be held from June 19 - July 2 at Ozark Natural Science Center (ONSC), an outdoor science education facility located deep in the Ozark Mountains. Students at Wet’n’Wild will be able to unplug from electronic distractions and plug into the ever-changing and exciting world of field biology where evolving technology and field science merge.
University of Central Arkansas 2023 Summer STEM Academy
The 2023 Summer STEM Academy @ UCA is a one-week research immersion experience for students entering grades 9 – 11. In three complementary courses:
(1) plant ecology & climate science ;
(2) experimental design and empirical modeling; and
(3) data analysis & visualization;
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students will design, implement, and analyze data from their own experiments focused on the biological, chemical, and physical factors responsible for seed dispersal and seed germination.
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University of Arkansas College of Engineering Summer Camps
The College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas offers several student camps throughout Arkansas for grades 1-12.
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Arkansas Summer Research Institute, ASRI (students: high school, undergrad, grad)
What: An intensive, hands-on, 2 and 1/2 week program for students (including teachers working on their graduate degree) who want to learn about data science, statistics, and research. Participants will complete a full research project with one-on-one help from faculty!
Who: ANY students residing in the US, special focus on Underrepresented populations!
When: June 1-19, 2023 (virtual)
Cost: FREE (NSF-funded)
AR AIMS Summer Science LTF Infused Advanced Instructional Methods & Strategies Workshop
Registration for the upcoming AR AIMS Summer Science LTF Infused Advanced Instructional Methods & Strategies Workshop is now open. Face-to-face Training will be the week of July 11-14, 2023 at Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, AR.
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The AR AIMS Science LTF Infused Advanced Instructional Methods and Strategies training for science merges LTF (Laying the Foundation) with Arkansas science standards-based content. The workshop, developed by Arkansas teachers, is supported by a Google Site for each content listed below. LTF Infused Training includes complete units that are developed to be flexible while providing teachers with guidance as they implement Arkansas standards and prepare for standardized testing. The workshop and the Google Site are grade-level specific and include teacher pacing guides, formative and summative assessments, presentations, labs, activities, and many other helpful teacher resources. Completion of the training gives a trained teacher access to the content Google Site for three years. The Summer 2023 training will focus on both new activities and content from previous training and will be a complete immersion into hands-on science practices to help teachers fully engage in the 3-D model of the Arkansas science standards.
All workshops are 18 hours in length.
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Teachers may sign up for:
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6th Grade Accelerated Science (on-level units have been added)
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7th Grade Accelerated Science (new content for on-level has been added)
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Accelerated Physical Science (appropriate for on-level Physical Science)
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Accelerated Biology (appropriate for on-level Biology)
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Accelerated Chemistry
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On-Level Chemistry
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On-Level 8th Grade Science
UALR - Donaghey College of STEM
Below you can find some of the awesome professional development opportunities for educators, as well as information about opportunities for students to attend camps. For more information contact Keith Harris at krharris@ualr.edu or by phone 501-916-6290.
​Summer Program dates are tentative. All camps are by application only. Deadline: April 30, 2023.
For information and the application, please visit the UALR College of STEM website by clicking here!
