Conference Special Events

At this year's Annual Conference, STANYS and its partners will be offering different opportunities for attendees to learn more before or during the conference. We will also have two dinner receptions - the Friday Night Event and the Fellows and Past Presidents' Reception - where attendees can network with other fellow educators and leaders in science education. All of these special events have an additional fee, so please be sure to select one or more of these events when you register for the conference. 
Friday Pre-Conference Workshops
Interested attendees can register for the full-day workshop separately from the Annual Conference and as an add-on to their Annual Conference registration. The Friday full-day offerings will allow attendees to dive deep into the required instructionally-embedded Investigations for high school science courses or choose to explore reading and writing strategies to support student learning.   
Friday, November 7th
​​8:30AM - 4​:00PM
Oncenter Convention Center
Fee: $130​
Deep Dive Into the HS Chemistry & Physics Mandatory Investigations
Looking for support to implement the new required HS Investigations? Join OCM and OH BOCES and NYSED as they unpack the activities and provide best practices on how educators and districts can incorporate these curriculum embedded assessments for student learning in a 3-dimensional classroom. Teachers, curriculum specialists and administrators are encouraged to attend. 
Friday, November 7th
​​8:30AM - 4​:00PM
Oncenter Convention Center
Fee: $130
Fueling Science with Literacy: Empowering Student Thinking Through Reading & Writing
Empower your students to bridge the gap between science and literacy. This dynamic workshop dives into the powerful synergy between science and literacy, supporting 3rd-12th grade science educators.  Deepen students’ understanding and increase their ability to meet the goals of the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS), by exploring evidence-based instructional strategies and tools.  Participants will learn how to utilize a 3D Assessment Task Analyzer to identify the reading and writing barriers to student success and learn new strategies to overcome these obstacles. 
Join us to explore how intentional literacy integration is a fundamental element for achieving deeper scientific understanding. You'll experience alignment of literacy practices with 3 dimensional instruction that can immediately be put into practice, ensuring students can effectively engage with scientific concepts and communicate their learning.
Monday In-Conference Institute
This special institute on Monday morning is available to Annual Conference attendees for an additional cost to cover breakfast for the day. For individuals wishing to attend the institute but not the full conference, you must register for the "Monday Only" conference registration and select the PRI Institute as an add-on. 
Monday, November 10th
​​7:30AM - 12​:00PM
Marriott Syracuse Downtown
​Fee: $55
​(plus conference registration)​
PRI Monday Institute: Finding Climate Change Solutions From Across the Sciences
Join us to learn how biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science are central to climate change solutions! The causes of climate change and how society should act upon it can only be deeply understood from an interdisciplinary and systems perspective. The biggest single contributor to modern climate change is carbon dioxide created in combustion reactions mostly from the burning of fossil fuels. Put more simply, modern climate change is primarily caused by humans burning stuff. There is chemistry at the root. The chemistry that produced that carbon dioxide then leads to physical reactions in the atmosphere that warm it at an increasing rate. Nearly all the fuel burned is the product of either ancient or modern photosynthesis, and all of this together is Earth science at its most fundamental. Addressing climate change is also a hugely interdisciplinary problem. Cornell Associate Professor of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Buz Barstow, and his team work on discovering the basic science needed to solve the toughest problems in sustainable energy with synthetic biology. Join us for an exploration of how microbes can help make mining for the special minerals needed for renewable energy infrastructure cleaner and greener. In addition to exploring how biology and chemistry can help extract these minerals, physicist Dr. Ben Luce, Chair of the Board of Directors, American Solar Energy Society, and Discovery Analyst, Buffalo Solar Solutions Inc. will help us explore the physics of solar power. The session will include solution-focused resources and ideas that can be immediately put to use in your classroom! 
STANYS Dinner Receptions
The following two dinner receptions are available for Annual Conference attendees only. During registration, you will be asked if you would like to add these two events to your registration ticket. 
Friday Night Event: Entertainment and Dinner
November 7th from 7:30PM - 10:00PM
Fee: $50
Ready for a night of connection and fun? Join us at the Marriott ballroom for a delightful dinner and engaging entertainment. It's the perfect opportunity to network with other passionate science educators, share ideas, and simply enjoy good company. Come prepared for stimulating conversations and a relaxing evening!
Fellows and Past Presidents' Reception
Sunday, November 9th from 4:30PM - 5:30PM
Fee: $30
Come join STANYS Fellows and past leaders for a passed hors d'oeuvres reception before the Fellows Dinner & Induction ceremony on Sunday evening. Learn from the wealth of knowledge from these innovative and influential New York science leaders in this unique networking opportunity. Professional attire is required to attend. 
Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS)