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Idaho Annual STEM Conference: The Magic of STEM 2026 has ended
Type: Engineering clear filter
Wednesday, July 29
 

9:35am MDT

BSU OnRamp a collaborative educational initiative bringing STEAM experiences to a wide range of learners.
Wednesday July 29, 2026 9:35am - 10:05am MDT
Experience a quick, engaging STEM activity from Boise State University's Onramp Program. Through creativity, coding, and challenge-based learning, discover how simple, hands-on experiences can build computational thinking, problem-solving, and student engagement across grade levels and content areas. Walk away with ideas and inspiration you can bring back to your own classroom or program.
Speakers
avatar for Jamie Richardson

Jamie Richardson

Onramp Program Facilitator, Boise State University
Jamie Richardson is a member of Boise State's College of Innovation and Design where he facilitates the Onramp Program’s Mobile Lab. The Onramp Program is an innovative approach to engaging Idaho students with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education and... Read More →
Wednesday July 29, 2026 9:35am - 10:05am MDT
Innovation Playground 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301

1:00pm MDT

If We Don’t Name It, Students Can’t Use It: Making STEM Skills Visible Through Competencies
Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
STEM classrooms are full of problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking, but those skills are not always named or reinforced in a consistent way. When that happens, students complete the work without always understanding what they are building or how it applies beyond school.
This session explores how the Idaho Career Readiness Competencies can serve as a shared language for making STEM skills more visible and transferable. Participants will look at how competencies already exist within STEM instruction and how small shifts in language, reflection, and feedback can help students recognize and apply those skills across contexts.
Examples from K-12, postsecondary, and workforce settings will highlight how a common language strengthens alignment and clarity. Participants will leave with one practical way to name and reinforce a competency in their own classroom. The goal is not to add more, but to make what is already happening more intentional.


Speakers
avatar for Jacque Deahl

Jacque Deahl

None of the above, Idaho Department of Education
Jacque Deahl serves as the GEAR UP Idaho Statewide Coordinator at the Idaho State Department of Education, where she works with colleagues and partners across the state to support college and career readiness efforts for students. Her work focuses on strengthening career connected... Read More →
Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
116

1:00pm MDT

Sentences & Sensemaking: Critical Thinking Made Visible
Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
Experience how sentence-level writing can transform passive observers into active sensemakers. Bring the joy of having something to say into your classroom writing experiences!  In this session, you'll experience lesson activities that use powerful strategies from The Writing Revolution 2.0 and explore practical techniques that strengthen critical thinking, academic discourse, and writing across all content areas. Whether you teach upper elementary, middle, or high school, you'll leave with ready-to-use strategies that make student thinking visible and deepen conceptual understanding.

Bonus: Thanks to the Idaho Department of Education, every participant will receive a complimentary copy of The Writing Revolution 2.0.


Speakers
avatar for Lee Slichter

Lee Slichter

ISTA Board Member Elementary Rep, Idaho Science Coach
Here's what other people say about Lee Slichter:
Lee brings warmth, enthusiasm, and a genuine passion for education to everything she does. (Andrea Baerwald) Lee is by far one of the most effective educators with whom I’ve worked during my educational career…She never wavers in her belief that all students can improve. She al... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
122 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301, USA

2:15pm MDT

STEM Fun with TMC Labs
Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Experience one of the engaging, hands-on STEM activities available through TMC Labs while exploring resources designed to support educators across Idaho. Learn how TMC Labs provides ready-to-use lessons, materials, and professional learning opportunities that make it easy to bring high-quality STEM experiences into classrooms and out-of-school programs. Leave with practical ideas and resources to continue inspiring curiosity and exploration long after the conference.
Speakers
avatar for Amy Post

Amy Post

Current IdEEA Member, Idaho Out-of-School Network
Amy Post is the Think Make Create (TMC) Labs Program Manager at the Idaho Out-of-School Network, where she has shared hands-on, inquiry-based STEM education with over 75,000 kids in Idaho and the educators who serve them.  She’s a naturalist and informal educator with nearly two... Read More →
Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Innovation Playground 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301

2:15pm MDT

Attraction and Repulsion-It’s Magnetic
Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
Become part of an amusement park design team as we explore the laws of 
repulsion and attraction through magnetic experimentation! Participants 
will experience a simulated elementary lesson using magnetic poles to 
exert pushes and pulls onto an object without touching it.


Speakers
avatar for Cameron Barger

Cameron Barger

None of the above; Conference Exhibitor, Imagine Learning: Twig Science
I’m Cameron Barger, and I’ve spent the last 20 years teaching STEM in K–12 classrooms in Kansas. Most of my work has focused on helping teachers create classrooms where students are actively thinking, problem‑solving, and making sense of learning together. I now work as a... Read More →
Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
120 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301, USA
 
Thursday, July 30
 

10:05am MDT

STEM Fun with TMC Labs
Thursday July 30, 2026 10:05am - 10:35am MDT
Experience one of the engaging, hands-on STEM activities available through TMC Labs while exploring resources designed to support educators across Idaho. Learn how TMC Labs provides ready-to-use lessons, materials, and professional learning opportunities that make it easy to bring high-quality STEM experiences into classrooms and out-of-school programs. Leave with practical ideas and resources to continue inspiring curiosity and exploration long after the conference.
Speakers
avatar for Amy Post

Amy Post

Current IdEEA Member, Idaho Out-of-School Network
Amy Post is the Think Make Create (TMC) Labs Program Manager at the Idaho Out-of-School Network, where she has shared hands-on, inquiry-based STEM education with over 75,000 kids in Idaho and the educators who serve them.  She’s a naturalist and informal educator with nearly two... Read More →
Thursday July 30, 2026 10:05am - 10:35am MDT
Innovation Playground 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301

10:45am MDT

Workforce Development Council + STEM: A Practical Guide to Funding, Programs, and Career Connections
Thursday July 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
If you’ve ever thought:
  • “There are so many programs… where do I even start?”
  • “How do I connect what I teach to real careers?”
  • “What opportunities are  worth my time and my students’ time?”
This session answers that.


You will walk away with:
  • A clear map of Workforce Development Council + STEM's key programs and how they connect
  • Practical ways to bring career relevance into your classroom immediately
  • Direct access to opportunities like  LAUNCH, I STEM, (IDSF) Science fairs, externships, and grants
  • Ready to use tools and a practical guide for all WDC + STEM Programming
  • Insight into how Idaho is aligning education with workforce needs
And just as important, you’ll have space to share your ideas, challenges, and needs so this work continues to improve with educator voice at the center.
Speakers
avatar for Branzell Porchia

Branzell Porchia

STEM Program Manager, Idaho Workforce Development Council
Hi there! As the STEM Program Manager for the Idaho Workforce Development Council, I get to help bridge the gap between classrooms and careers by connecting education, STEM, and workforce opportunities for students throughout Idaho.  

I am passionate about helping educators answe... Read More →
avatar for Amanda Paterson

Amanda Paterson

None of the above, Workforce Development Council
This interactive session offers a clear and practical look into Idaho’s STEM and workforce ecosystem, designed specifically for educators, school leaders, and career advisors.Participants will gain an inside perspective on key statewide initiatives including LAUNCH, I STEM, Idaho... Read More →
Thursday July 30, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am MDT
105
 
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