OSTA 64th Annual Conference on Science Education

THEME:
Interconnections – Integrating Land, Community, and Cultural Knowledge in Place-Based Science

Pre-conference:  Friday, October 9, 2026

Conference:  Saturday, October 10, 2026

Pendleton High School

Pendleton, Oregon

 Keynote Speaker:

Paul Andersen, Bozeman Science

Paul Andersen is an educational consultant and YouTube creator living in Bozeman, MT. With over 20 years of experience teaching science in Montana, Paul has developed a strong focus on 3-dimensional learning and inquiry-based education. He was honored as the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year and was a finalist for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year.

In addition to his teaching career, Paul has created hundreds of science tutorials on his Bozeman Science channel, which have millions of views worldwide. His videos and tutorials have become invaluable resources for students and educators alike.

Attendee Registration Cost:

Registration Type	Early Registration    By Sept. 5th	Advanced Registration Sept. 6th-30th	Registration Oct. 1st-10th
Member	$160	$180	$200
Non-member	$190	$210	$240
Pre-Service Teachers and Student Members	$50	$50	$50
Retiree Member	$110	$120	$130
WSTA/ISTA Member*	$160	$180	$200

*WSTA Member rate requires a registration code.  Please contact WSTA Representative William Baur (wmbaur@yahoo.com) for that code.

*ISTA Member rate requires a registration code.  Please contact ISTA Representative Chris Stoker (Stoker.Chris@westada.org) for your code.

Registering a large group (5+) for your school/district?  Contact registrar@oregonscience.org for special pricing

Conference Registration         Conference Schedule (TBA)       Pre-conference Events  (TBA) 

Letter of Support Template

NOTE: You must be registered for the conference on Saturday to be eligible to attend the pre-conference events. 

Some pre-conference opportunities may incur a cost to attend and will have a registration cap.

Exhibitor Registration

Threads:

• Belonging & Interconnections:
  Culturally responsive, place-based science that builds belonging, resilience, and community connection.

• Sensemaking & Transformative Learning
  NGSS-aligned sensemaking through three-dimensional instruction and coherent assessment practices.

• Collaboration & Connected Learning
  Interdisciplinary, community-connected science through partnerships, cultural knowledge, and career pathways.

Presenter: Carrie Caselton Lowe, Grande Ronde Community Science Coordinator.

Description: Learning outside is good for learning - and for us. So how do we make it routine and standards-aligned? Explore outdoor learning strategies that weave science across disciplines, highlighting the Learning in Places collaborative and Grande Ronde Community Science Schoolyard Investigations. Prepare to incorporate the schoolyard into your regular teaching practice.

Cost: $25

General Audience:  K-5 Science, Environmental Sciences

Presenter: Mike Weddle,  Diack Ecology Education Program

Description: Do you want to get your students outside? Do you need equipment and supplies to do this? The Diack Ecology Education Program provides a system of grants, workshops and resources to teachers and students in Oregon to encourage them to participate in field-based science inquiry and ecology studies. 

1. Learn how field-based student directed research can provide an engaging opportunity for students to learn critical thinking, data collection, comparative analysis, and written and oral presentation skills.

2, Become proficient with a variety of data collecting tools and procedures, from low-tech items like transect tapes and D-nets to high-tech dissolved oxygen sensors and temperature data loggers.

3, Come away with strategies to manage your particular classroom situation. All classes are unique, but we have a wealth of experience with a wide range of logistical challenges. You can make this work.

4. Know the procedure for applying for a Diack grant for up to $6000.

Cost: $30

General Audience: Subject Area(s): Physical Science, Life Science, Earth & Space Science, Engineering & Technology, General Science, Education Research, Environmental Sciences, Computer Science, STEM (integrated)

Presenters: Mihir Ravel, PSU; Dan Robinette, North Clackamas-Retired/Lewis and Clarke College; Stephen Scannell, Gresham High School/OSTA Treasurer

Description:

Energy concepts become real when students can hold them and see them in their own community. This half-day workshop is a hybrid with hands-on energy and electricity, and then seeing them literally in action by touring one of the largest Unmanned Aircraft Systems facilities in the US: the Pendleton UAS Drone Testing Range. We'll open with energy as a crosscutting concept - a lens that carries across all the sciences, not just physics - then measure renewable energy sources, work with energy storage (rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors) and conversion (LEDs, motors, sensors), and design, test, and iterate a model electric vehicle using your own measurements. The tour will let us see energy chains in real aviation systems and a career pathway in operation. We'll close with methods for finding place-based anchors in your own district.

Cost: $25

General Audience:  (Subject Area(s): K-5 Science, Environmental Sciences

Presenters: Corey Wallis, Walla Walla Valley Farm to School Garden Education Manager;  Kerri Coffman, Principal Athena Elementary School; Betsy Russell Carroll, Program Manager, Walla Walla Valley Farm to School

Description: Athena Elementary and Walla Walla Valley Farm to School bring weekly science based lessons to K-4 students using the school garden and participate in the Oregon Farm to School Institute to increase local food purchasing and community events. This session explores interconnection between school gardens, science, school nutrition, and community.

Continuing Education Units

In partnership with Eastern Oregon University, OSTA will be offering 1 CEU upon  completion of the required work associated with your attendance at the conference.  Registration at EOU and payment of the credit fee ($200) is also required. Click here to register. 

Here is an example of the assignment that was submitted from the 2025 Conference.

Here are some details to note:

• Registration must be completed by October 16, 2026

• The Non-Admitted, Non-Degree Seeking student application fee of $25 is waived for individuals enrolling in Credit Overlay courses. 

• Please review your student account and if you believe you have been assessed this fee in error, please contact the EOU Admissions Office at admissions@eou.edu

Support Science Teaching in Oregon!

Become A Sponsor for the 2026 Conference

Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors:

Current Exhibitors and Sponsors: