Science Matters

Science Matters is a major public awareness and engagement campaign designed to rekindle a national sense of urgency and action among schools and families about the importance of science education and science literacy. Science Matters builds on the success of the Building a Presence for Science program, first launched in 1997 as an e-networking initiative to assist teachers of science with professional development opportunities. The Building a Presence for Science network—now the Science Matters network—reaches readers in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

The Science Matters network is a vehicle for information dissemination and communication. Through the electronic network, teachers of science become aware of professional development opportunities, science resource materials, and funding programs within their area, region, state, and/or at the national level. They will also receive important information, helpful articles and materials to pass on to parents that focus on quality learning experiences in the sciences —starting at an early age—and why science education is critical to science literacy and our future workforce.

If you are interested in becoming a Point of Contact and receiving updated news about science education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, please visit the Science Matters homepage at http://bap.nsta.org/

NSTA/Intel Science Matters National Town Hall Meeting on Science Education
From March 17-21, more than 10,000 science educators from throughout Pennsylvania and the nation will be in Philadelphia for the NSTA National Conference on Science Education.

As part of the conference NSTA and Intel will host a National Town Hall Meeting on Science Education on Friday, March 19, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Millennium Hall in the Loews Hotel.  At the National Town Hall meeting science educators, school administrators, and other invited guests will hear from a panel of state, national, and business leaders and engage in a national conversation about the state of science education and key initiatives that are helping teachers to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

Invited guests for the panel include Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell; Steve Robinson, senior advisor to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, currently on detail with the White House Domestic Policy Council, Cora Marrett, Acting Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation and Carlos Cantreras, U.S. Education Director for Intel.  

The moderated panel session will include brief remarks from panelists and a question and answer session with participants. Portions of the film Imagine IT: The Power of Imagination, a powerful documentary about connecting imagination and creativity with science and engineering in education, will be used throughout the event.

Following the town hall meeting on Friday afternoon Intel and NSTA will host a screening of the film Imagine IT for conference attendees. Discussion during the film and after will center on the importance of the ideas presented in the film and how teachers can use Imagine It in the classroom.

Science Matters is an initiative by the NSTA to bring content, news, and information that supports quality science education to parents and teachers nationwide and build public awareness that quality learning experiences in the sciences—starting at an early age—are critical to science literacy and our future workforce. Science Matters reaches teachers and parents in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

We anticipate that 300-500 teachers, education leaders and national organizations will attend this National Town Hall meeting.  Additionally this National Town Hall meeting is being planned for use as a model for other state level discussions on this important topic and is expected to reach many more audiences of education, business and government leaders.

For more information contact:
Cathleen Barton, Intel Corporation
480-540-3612
480-5543568-Fax

Jodi Peterson, National Science Teachers Association
571-308-4949
703.243.7177-Fax