Idaho Annual STEM Conference: The Magic of STEM 2026: Full Schedule

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

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

Innovation Playground, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12 | Engineering, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12 | Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12 | Out of School/Informal Education, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12 | Computer Science, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12

10:05am MDT

Playlab: Build AI apps that align your goals, context, curriculum, knowledge, and data.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am MDT

Innovation Playground

Experience the future of educational technology by creating your own AI-powered app with Playlab. This hands-on session will demonstrate how educators can quickly design custom tools to enhance instruction, streamline workflows, and support student learning. Walk away with a working app and ideas for implementing AI across your classroom, school, or district. Please bring your own laptop to fully participate in this interactive session.

Speakers

ReBekha Lulu

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am MDT
Innovation Playground 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301

Innovation Playground, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12 | Computer Science, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12 | Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 8-12

1:00pm MDT

AI in Idaho Education

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

115

Join Katie Bosch-Wilson from the Idaho Department of Education to learn about key AI updates. This session will cover the new AI legislation passed in early 2026, including requirements, how the Department is supporting new AI standards, a statewide framework, and discussion around available professional development opportunities. Walk away with hands on ideas of utilization of AI in your classroom. Time will also be included for questions and discussion on what these changes may look like in practice.

Speakers

Katie Bosch-Wilson

Current ICTM Member; Current CSTA Member, Idaho Department of Education

Computer Science and Secondary Math Coordinator

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
115 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301, USA

Computer Science, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

global Y

1:00pm MDT

Modernizing Mathematics: Integrating Future-Ready Skills into the Standards for Mathematical Practice

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

105

The Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs) were designed to describe how students engage with mathematics, yet in many classrooms they remain disconnected from daily instruction. This session introduces a modernized vision of the SMPs that integrates them directly with grade-level content, emphasizing coherence, student agency, and real-world application. Participants will explore practical frameworks for embedding the SMPs into lesson design, with a focus on sense-making, discourse, and purposeful use of representations—including data visualizations tied to audience and context. Through concrete examples, we will demonstrate how aligning content and practice creates richer learning experiences without adding instructional burden. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and a visual planning tool to support immediate implementation in their classrooms or districts.

Speakers

Shelbi Cole

None of the above, Leading Educators

Deeply committed to ensuring that children have opportunities to experience mathematics that is meaningful and relevant to the world that they will continue to shape.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
105

Math, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

global Y

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

116

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

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

global Y

2:15pm MDT

Attraction and Repulsion-It’s Magnetic

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT

120

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

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

Science, K-2, 3-5, 6-8 | Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8 | Engineering, K-2, 3-5, 6-8

global Y

2:15pm MDT

AI Literacy: Resources for Teaching Students

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT

115

This session will explore practical strategies and resources for teaching AI literacy to students. I will share a range of open-source curriculum materials suitable for grades K–12, including those I use in my own classroom, as well as our schoolwide “Hour of AI” curriculum we designed for grades K–6.

Please note: this session does not focus on using AI tools to streamline teaching tasks. Instead, it centers on helping students understand what AI is, how it works, and how it will shape their future. Participants are encouraged to bring a computer for hands-on exploration.

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
115 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301, USA

Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Computer Science, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

global Y

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

105

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

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 →

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

Out of School/Informal Education, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Science, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Engineering, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 | Math, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

global Y

1:00pm MDT

Cybersecurity Building Blocks for the K-8 Classroom

Thursday July 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT

122

In today's digital landscape, both digital citizenship and cybersecurity are crucial for protecting our students. Join us for a dynamic and engaging professional development designed for K-8 educators. This session from CYBER.ORG will explore how cybersecurity concepts can be meaningfully integrated across subjects. Participants will engage with classroom-ready lessons that empower students to become safe, informed, and critical users of technology, while also developing awareness of how emerging fields like AI impact security.

Speakers

Georgette Price

Conference Exhibitor, CYBER.ORG, Academic Division of the Cyber Innovation Center

Georgette Price is the Deputy Director for CYBER.ORG, the academic division of the Cyber Innovation Center. As Deputy Director, she oversees all managerial and operational logistics as assigned by the Director. She is an accomplished project manager and enjoys supporting the CYBER.ORG... Read More →

Thursday July 30, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
122 300 N College Rd W, Twin Falls, ID 83301, USA

Technology, K-2, 3-5, 6-8