Idaho Annual STEM Conference: The Magic of STEM 2026 has ended

Create Your Own Event

Idaho Annual STEM Conference: The Magic of STEM 2026

7:30am MDT

Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground Bridge Street Coffee (limited menu) Coffee Truck

8:00am MDT

Welcome Auditorium (322)

8:30am MDT

Avoiding the Traps of Algorithms Auditorium (322)Pam Harris

9:00am MDT

Bridge Street Coffee (full menu) Coffee Truck

9:35am MDT

BSU OnRamp a collaborative educational initiative bringing STEAM experiences to a wide range of learners. Innovation PlaygroundJamie Richardson ICTM Annual Meeting Auditorium (322) Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground Classroom Strategies that Drive True Science Understanding 107Jasmine Glasper-Nuñez Exploring OpenSciEd from Carolina (K-12) 105Dr. Eeva Burns Level Up Your Classroom with Gamification 106Michael Washington

10:05am MDT

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

10:45am MDT

Watershed Science with the Confluence Project 105Kim Roush Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground Workplace Injury Prevention FIT Tests performed by BBSI Maria Castro, CPR Physical Therapy PTA Isaac McCreey, and Glanbia Innovation PlaygroundScott Pierce Bringing the Real World to the Classroom: Career-Connected Math Tasks 107Kristen Montague • Nicole Anderson • Josh Watson • Veronica Blackham Math Tech That Connects: Intentional Technology in a Thinking Classroom 106Cassondra Kauppi Reaching More Students in Less Time, Elementary Auditorium (322)Pam Harris Classroom Catalysts: Demonstrating atomic structure concepts using hands-on activities 126Claire Sponseller • Sebastian Stoian • A Andrasi See It, to Be It: Making Healthcare Careers Real for Middle School Students 115Dr. Sherawn Reberry • Branzell Porchia AI in Education: Where We Have Been and Where Are We Going? 114Kaywin Cottle

11:45am MDT

Lunch TBA Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground

1:00pm MDT

AI in Idaho Education 115Katie Bosch-Wilson Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground College of Southern Idaho, Genna Poytner along with STEM ambassadors lead CTE programs to include: Welding Simulation, Binary Code Bracelet, Auto Body Repair, Build a Cow, Rad Tech and Wood Burning. Innovation PlaygroundGenna Poynter Developing Thinking Through Student-Centered Discourse 124Rosalyn Miller Opening doors to a future in STEM: A fluency approach to re-invigorating middle school math 114Kathy Prummer • Julia Martin Modernizing Mathematics: Integrating Future-Ready Skills into the Standards for Mathematical Practice 105Shelbi Cole The Idaho LAUNCH Playbook: Funding Pathways, Expanding Futures 120Dr. Sherawn Reberry If We Don’t Name It, Students Can’t Use It: Making STEM Skills Visible Through Competencies 116Jacque Deahl Creating a Culture of Inquiry 106Emily Sarha From Simple to Spectacular: Making Science Magical in Elementary Classrooms 107Randy Lance • Ken Wareham • Ashley Schaffner Making Space for Science: Practical Strategies for Integrating Science Without Adding More to Your Plate 126Marisa Alan Think Like a Scientist: Simple Moves for Elementary Classrooms 118Chris Stoker Sentences & Sensemaking: Critical Thinking Made Visible 122Lee Slichter

2:15pm MDT

STEM Fun with TMC Labs Innovation PlaygroundAmy Post Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground My Math, My Story: Fostering Confidence, Identity, and Belonging in the Elementary Math Classroom 116Tammy McMorrow Pivotal Progressions: Designing a Coherent K-5 MTSS Math System 126Shelbi Cole Reaching More Students in Less Time, Secondary Auditorium (322)Pam Harris Beyond Job Titles: Helping Students Discover What STEM Careers Actually Look Like 118Belen Hoobing Initial Priorities for becoming a more STEM-Focused School 114Wendy Ruchti Phenomena Based Science is a Piece of Cake 107Marisa Alan Sourdough for Science! Citizen Science Meets Phenomenon-Driven Instruction 105McKenzie Sonderegger - Idaho Science Coach • Gena Dean Students to Scientists - Empowering Curiosity 106Matt Wigglesworth Attraction and Repulsion-It’s Magnetic 120Cameron Barger AI Literacy: Resources for Teaching Students 115

3:30pm MDT

Elementary Affinity Group 105 Higher Education Affinity Group 116 Informal Educators Affinity Group 115 Secondary Math Affinity Group 107 Secondary Science Affinity Group 106 Secondary Technology/Computer Science Affinity Group 114 Vendor/Exhibitor Affinity Group 115

5:00pm MDT

Mathy Hour Redhawk Gastropub

7:30am MDT

Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground Bridge Street Coffee (limited menu) Coffee Truck

8:00am MDT

Welcome Auditorium (322)

8:30am MDT

Leading the Shift: From Knowledge Delivery to Student Sensemaking in K–12 Science Auditorium (322)Dr. Thomas “TJ” McKenna

9:00am MDT

Bridge Street Coffee (full menu) Coffee Truck

9:35am MDT

Lotion Making with Artisan Labs, Mara Reed Innovation Playground ISTA Annual Meeting Auditorium (322) Igniting Innovation: Fusing Digital Design and Hands-on Engineering for Future-Ready Minds 105Cassondra Kauppi Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground ALEKS and the Idaho Framework: Turning Vision into Practice 107Monica Bush Supporting Students in Productive Struggle 106Chris Haley

10:05am MDT

Lotion Making with Artisan Labs, Mara Reed Innovation Playground STEM Fun with TMC Labs Innovation PlaygroundAmy Post

10:45am MDT

Lotion Making with Artisan Labs, Mara Reed Innovation Playground Ignite Your Classroom with FREE ID-Specific Coding Curriculum and Teacher Tools 115Kit Ward Connecting to Community through Citizen Science 114Amy Post Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground Workplace Injury Prevention FIT Tests performed by BBSI Maria Castro, True West Beef Jaci Abonza, Jerome PT Dr. Jaron Pope Innovation PlaygroundScott Pierce State of Mathematics in Idaho 116Katie Bosch-Wilson Workforce Development Council + STEM: A Practical Guide to Funding, Programs, and Career Connections 105Branzell Porchia • Amanda Paterson Base-Jumping Eggs! Using Local Phenomena and Place-Based Science to Boost Rigor and Student Engagement 120Cassidy Huggins Elementary Phenomena and Sensemaking 301Dr. Thomas “TJ” McKenna Bridging the Gap Between Curriculum and Assessment 118Austin Ambrose Beyond the Ban: Ethical & Effective AI Use in Secondary Classrooms 106Dr. Melyssa Ferro Beyond Compliance: A Social Model for Neuro-Inclusive STEM 126Merrie Rampy

11:15am MDT

Lotion Making with Artisan Labs, Mara Reed Innovation Playground

11:45am MDT

Lunch TBA Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground

1:00pm MDT

Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground College of Southern Idaho, Genna Poytner along with STEM ambassadors lead CTE programs to include: Welding Simulation, Binary Code Bracelet, Auto Body Repair, Build a Cow, Rad Tech and Wood Burning. Innovation Playground Chatter That Matters 114Cameron Barger Developing Student Agency and Conceptual Understanding with Self-Checking Activities 126Tom Beatini Success Stories from Idaho Math Badging 115Carol Hicks • Josh Watson • Veronica Blackham Birds, Binoculars, and Big Data: Bringing Citizen Science into Your Classroom 106Jamie Brunmeier Physics with Phones 107Ty Salsberry The Levels of Inquiry with Rosie 120Wendy Snyder Tiny Tablets, Big Claims: CER Writing with Alka-Seltzer Rockets 105Dr. Melyssa Ferro Students Leading STEM: Inside the Idaho EcosySTEM Student Ambassador Program 116Trisha Mick REVIT: Preparing Students for the Clean‑Energy Workforce Through Integrated Science Learning 118Hanna Jaramillo Cybersecurity Building Blocks for the K-8 Classroom 122Georgette Price

1:30pm MDT

Guild Mortgage, Deb Owen, Financial Literacy in the classroom Innovation PlaygroundDebbie Owen

2:15pm MDT

Cool Schools: Investigating Heat Islands 114Haven Davis-Martinez Visit the Exhibitors Exhibitor Space Innovate your Craft with Hands on Activities: Innovation Playground Innovation Playground Playlab: Build AI apps that align your goals, context, curriculum, knowledge, and data. Innovation PlaygroundReBekha Lulu Affirming Multilingual Learners in the PK-5 Mathematics Classroom with Language Routines 115Mike Wallus From Answers to Arguments: Increasing Student Justification 116Sherri Bell • Kathy Prummer • Veronica Blackham Games and Books in the Math Classroom! 126Dr. Kacey Diemert • Suzanne Rousseau • Becca Hill Fast & Curious: Bringing Math Vocabulary to Life in Every Grade 118Shelley Nash Sensemaking: Models, Evidence, and Student Explanations 301Dr. Thomas “TJ” McKenna Why is it Snowing in July? Using Hands-On and Literacy to Support Elementary Students' Explanations of Confusing Weather Phenomena (K-5) 105Dr. Eeva Burns Beyond the Test: Turning ISAT Items into Instructional Tools 106Amber Van Vooren micro:bit Essentials: Fast, Fun, and Classroom-Ready Activities 107Dr. Gina Kwid

3:30pm MDT

Raffles and Closure Auditorium (322)

5:00pm MDT

Herrett Center Planetarium Show Herrett Center Faulkner Planetarium

8:30am MDT

Artisan Labs Artisan Labs Snake River Kayaking Centennial Waterfront Park

8:45am MDT

Orton Botanical Garden Orton Botanical Garden

9:00am MDT

Math Badging Workshop 107

9:30am MDT

Hagerman Fossil Beds Hagerman Fossil Beds