February 7, 2024

In this Issue:

• NABT Now Accepting Conference Session Proposals
• Suggest a Speaker for NABT2024
• Nominations for Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) Due March 1st
• Student & Educator Teams Invited to Enter NABT CESR Virtual Poster Competition
• Partner Spotlight: FREE NABT & NCSE Darwin Day Webinar: The Road to Extinction
• 2024 Hilleman Student Essay Contest Still Accepting Entries
• Apply Today for Summer Institute on Climate and Equity for High School Teachers
• Ecology-Focused Research Experience for Teachers Available at Cary Institute

NABT Now Accepting

Conference Session Proposals

NABT invites educators, researchers, and other professionals passionate about biology education to submit education session proposals for the 2024 NABT Professional Development Conference in Anaheim, California. This year's conference will be held from November 14th to November 17th, 2024, at the Anaheim Marriott and promises to be the premier event for biology and life science teachers.

Education sessions showcase innovative teaching methods, translate research into practice, demonstrate how to successfully incorporate technology, and highlight strategies that promote culturally responsive teaching and inclusivity in the classroom. 

We encourage presenters to be creative in designing interactive sessions that will support their fellow teachers, and full submission guidelines are available to help you prepare materials before submitting your session online at 2024 NABT Conference Proposals. 

Other Considerations:

• NABT will accept sessions until 11:59 PM Eastern on Monday, April 1, 2024. 
• You may submit an unlimited number of proposals. However, acceptance will be limited to two education sessions per presenter. You may also present posters, research papers, exhibitor sessions, and symposiums in addition to the two sessions.
• The NABT Professional Development Committee will review session proposals, and acceptance notifications will be sent to presenters by May 15, 2024.
• Upon acceptance, all session presenters must register and pay the appropriate fees to attend the NABT Professional Development Conference in Anaheim.
• Please make sure all co-presenters are aware of this requirement before submission.

The NABT Conference is the "can't miss event" for biology educators to share best practices, learn from experts, and network with colleagues from around the world. 

For the latest information, please visit NABTconference.com.

We look forward to receiving your proposals and welcoming you to the 2024 NABT Conference in Anaheim!

Suggest a Speaker for NABT2024

It seems like only yesterday that we welcomed over 800 biology and life science education enthusiasts to Baltimore. Now we are planning the next NABT Professional Development Conference in Anaheim, and we need your help!

From Nobel Prize winners sharing their experiences to early-career scientists sharing their excitement, the plenary speakers at the NABT Conference engage from the stage! Past highlights include Francis Collins singing for us in Atlanta, Temple Grandin reminding us to focus on what students can do (not what they can’t) in Denver, and Sean M. Caroll sharing the “Big Picture” and Sean B. Carroll sharing a new film on the same day in San Diego! 

Help us bring the next best speakers to the NABT Conference by submitting your Speaker Suggestions online. This is your chance to hear from the scientists, education researchers, and well-known science communicators you follow on social media, live and in person. All suggestions are welcome!

Nominations for Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) Due March 1st

Every year, the NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator in grades 7-12 in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico, Canada; and overseas territories.

While candidates for this award do not need to be NABT members, they must have at least three years of teaching experience in a public, private, or parochial school. In addition, most of the nominee's career should have been devoted to teaching biology/life science.

One of the most important aspects of the OBTA is that candidates are judged on their teaching ability, leadership in the school and community, and student-teacher relationships by their professional peers.

OBTA honorees are recognized for being the best biology teachers in the United States and Canada, one of the highest honors bestowed by the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT).

Help us identify one of the best K-12 biology teachers in your state, province, or territory by nominating them before March 1st. We know that teacher might be you, so don't hesitate to nominate yourself!

All NABT award nominations are accepted online using the 2024 Award Nomination Form. OBTA Nominations are due March 1, 2024.

The Outstanding Biology Teacher Award is proudly sponsored by

Special consideration is also provided by Bio-Rad Laboratories, the Botanical Society of America, mini PCR, and Population Connection.

Students & Educator Teams Invited to Enter NABT CESR Virtual Poster Competition

NABT is excited to host its 3rd Annual Course-Embedded Student Research (CESR) Virtual Poster Competition. Designed to encourage and celebrate student research, this competition is open to all students engaged in CESR at high schools, two-year, and four-year institutions.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable experience presenting their research, and the criteria are below: 

• Posters should effectively present a student-driven scientific research activity in any area of biological sciences. 
• Submissions must include a video of the poster presentation with a faculty/teacher mentor. The mentor must be an NABT member who is also listed as an author/presenter.
• The faculty/teacher mentor will introduce the course-embedded research topic, and the student(s) will then present their work on that topic. 
• Students and mentors are strongly encouraged to use the #betterposter format and review the guidelines and scoring rubric that will be released upon acceptance of the abstract.

Students who place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the CESR Competition will be awarded cash prizes of $200, $100, and $50, respectively. Please note: The prize will be split among all student presenters of a winning poster. The instructors will receive a complimentary year of membership to NABT.

You can learn more and view videos from previous winners at https://nabt.org/Events-CESR-Poster-Competition.

Abstracts will be submitted online at 3rd CESR Poster Session and must be received by Friday, March 29th. Accepted presenters must submit completed presentations by Friday, June 7th to enter the competition.

FREE NABT & NCSE Darwin Day Webinar:

The Road to Extinction

Sixty-six million years ago, "an asteroid some seven miles across slammed into the Earth, leaving a geologic wound over 50 miles in diameter." Approximately 75% of known species vanished. Yet many life forms managed to survive the catastrophe, from feathered dinosaurs to our primate ancestors.

Join NABT and NCSE on Thursday, February 8th at 7:00 PM ET for a special Darwin Day webinar featuring Riley Black, the award-winning author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs. Riley will replay what made the difference between survival and extinction as the Age of Dinosaurs ended and the Age of Mammals began.

NCSE will also share tips on using the NGSS-aligned storyline, "The Road to Extinction," which is part of their freely available lesson set.

But wait, there's more! Participants will be entered into a drawing to win some great prizes from NABT and NCSE, including a complimentary registration to the 2024 NABT Conference in Anaheim!

You can still register for this free, online event at https://nabt.wufoo.com/forms/2024-darwin-day-with-nabt-ncse/

NABT will use Zoom Webinar for this event, and login instructions will be emailed from office@nabt.org. 

2024 Hilleman Student Essay Contest Still Accepting Entries

The annual Maurice R. Hilleman Essay Contest celebrates famed virologist Maurice R. Hilleman and his dream of a world free from the ravages of infectious diseases. Students in grades 6 to 12* from the U.S. and Canada are invited to learn about Dr. Hilleman and reflect on a scientific issue they would work to address and why.

More details about the 2024 Maurice R. Hilleman Essay Contest are available at HillemanFilm.com, including:

• The 2024 writing prompt for a 500- to 1000-word essay,
• Eligibility requirements for students in grades 6 to 12* living in the United States (including US Territories) and Canada (grade 11 in Quebec*)
• Additional rules and requirements,
• Information about the 2024 contest co-sponsors,
• and more!

First and second place will be awarded in the high school and middle school categories in each country, with 1st place students receiving a cash prize of $500 USD, a certificate, and recognition at a virtual award event this spring. 

Teachers named in winning student entries will receive a signed copy of a book written by Paul A. Offit, MD, and a 1-year, free membership to NABT.

Completed entries must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, February 15, 2024, or postmarked by February 15 if mailed.

Apply Today for Summer Institute on Climate and Equity for High School Teachers

TERC, in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, invites high school teachers currently teaching about Climate and Equity to participate in a one-week, all-expenses-paid, week-long Climate and Equity Institute.  

This project plans to bring together 12 teachers from various backgrounds to help transform how climate and equity are taught by reducing teacher isolation and supporting collective growth. 

The Climate and Equity Institute will be held Sunday, July 21st - Saturday, July 27th, 2024, at the Schoodic Institute campus in Acadia National Park, Maine. 

Applications are due by March 4, 2024. Decisions will be made by March 15, 2024. For more information, please visit the https://www.terc.edu/climateandequity/

Ecology-Focused Research Experience for Teachers Available at Cary Institute

Applications are being accepted for the Research Experiences for Teachers (BIORETS) program at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, located in Millbrook, NY. BIORETS will provide stipend support for 9 teachers to participate for 6 weeks during the summer and an additional 2.3 weeks during the academic year. 

Through collaborative research projects and professional development activities that promote reflection, teamwork, and teacher leadership, the Cary BIORETS program aims to enhance teacher capacity to build the ecological knowledge of their students and increase their proficiency with science practices. 

Eligible teachers: 

• Work as a middle or high school teacher in a STEM field (including biology, Earth science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering),
• Have worked in a classroom for at least one year,
• Have an interest in increasing your and your students’ ecological literacy,
• Be able to commit to the entirety of the program, including teaching new curriculum materials.

We particularly encourage applications from teachers who: 

• Work with historically marginalized and underserved students,
• Work in under-resourced schools, including those in rural and urban communities,
• Have limited access to professional learning opportunities, 
• Want to engage in the translation of cutting-edge research into meaningful learning experiences for students.

Although the formal program lasts one year, the program will establish a lasting connection between teachers and scientists committed to promoting ecological literacy locally and nationwide. 

Learn more at https://www.caryinstitute.org/eco-inquiry/research-experiences-teachers-biorets. Applications are due March 15, 2024.