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 workshops separately from the Annual Conference and as an add-on to their Annual Conference registration. Both intensive full-day offerings will allow attendees to dive deep into aspects of either the required instructionally-embedded investigations or the development of assessment tasks aligned to the three-dimensional science standards. 
Friday, November 3rd
​​8:30AM - 4​:00PM
Oncenter Convention Center
Fee: $130​
Delving Into the 5th and 8th Grade NYSSLS Curriculum-Embedded Science Investigations
Join OCM BOCES and NYSED for a pre-conference session for the 128th Annual STANYS Conference to engage in hands-on exploration and discussions of the NYS Elementary and Intermediate laboratory investigations. This workshop is designed to support 3-5th, 6-8th special education and science educators to implement the NYS lab investigations. High school educators, instructional coaches and administrators are encouraged to attend as this session will deepen understanding of how to incorporate the three dimensions of the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) - scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas -  to facilitate student learning across all grade bands within a district strategic plan.
 
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
  • gain confidence in facilitating the lab investigations 
  • acquire a deeper understanding of 3-dimensional learning 
  • discuss the value of activities that promote student engagement, inquiry, and critical thinking skills which align with the NYSSL
  • explore resources and materials to support the implementation of 3-dimensional learning in their classrooms
  • design a “solutionary” vision for district level supports of the NYSSLS​
Join us for a deep dive into 3 dimensional instruction that supports all learners to foster scientific literacy, critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the natural world.
LISTEMELA Leadership Summit: Introduction to High-Quality Science Performance Assessments Through Sensemaking, Phenomena, & Three-Dimensional Learning
This full-day workshop will provide an introduction to the features of high-quality science performance assessments, with a focus on sensemaking, phenomena, and three-dimensional learning. Participants will explore the key principles of effective assessment design and learn how to design assessments that align with current research on how students learn science. The Leadership Summit will begin with a keynote presentation by Page Keeley - author of the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series - on effective formative assessment strategies. The remainder of the day will be facilitated by Contextus leaders who are committed to creating assessment systems that are meaningful, empowering, and rich for all students. This session is a must attend for science leaders, teachers, and partners interested in ensuring that their NYSSLS instruction is appropriately linked to three-dimensional assessment. For more information, be sure to visit the Detailed Description link. 

Keeley Keynote: What Are Your Students Really Thinking? Linking Formative Assessment, Instruction, and Learning
Brief Description: Eliciting and understanding students' thinking drives responsive instruction. Using students' ideas as the starting point, examine how assessment, instruction, and learning are inextricably linked when the primary purpose of continuous assessment is to promote learning and inform instruction. 
Friday, November 3rd
​​8:00AM - 4​:00PM
Oncenter Convention Center
Fee: $130​
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 6th
​​7:30AM - 12​:00PM
Marriott Syracuse Downtown
​Fee: $40
​(plus conference registration)​
PRI Monday Institute: NY Rocks! and The Science of Energy
This half-day institute uses the Museum of the Earth’s NY Rocks! exhibit as a launching point to explore the science of energy. Along the way, we’ll explore the ancient life of the Empire State; how ancient life tells us about ancient ecosystems and climates; look into how that ancient life gave us fossil fuels; how fossil fuels changed both our shared history and our shared future; and how newer Earth science understandings are moving us away from dependence on fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. 

Cornell University’s efforts to both decarbonize and show the world how it is doing so will feature prominently in the institute, especially through the Deep Geothermal Heat Research project and its Cornell University Borehole Observatory (CUBO).
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: Murder Mystery Dinner
Friday, November 3rd from 7:30PM - 10:00PM
Fee: $45
Come join us Friday evening for some dinner and mystery as participants will participate in a Murder Mystery.  Additional fee covers cost of dinner buffet and participation in the challenge!
Fellows and Past Presidents' Reception
Sunday, November 5th from 4:30PM - 5:30PM
Fee: $25
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. 
Meet this year's inducted STANYS Fellows!
Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS)