Science Teachers From Across the Country Convene in Boston for NSTA's 56th Annual National Conference on Science Education

Sessions to Address Issues Including Global Climate Change and NCLB--Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and Evolution Expert Dr. Eugenie Scott, Scheduled to Speak

ARLINGTON, Va., March 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, will meet in Boston March 27 -30 for its 56th National Conference on Science Education. At this year's conference, which is hosted in conjunction with the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST), participants from across the country will learn about the latest in science content, teaching strategy and research; network with fellow education professionals; and hear thought-provoking presentations from world-renowned scientists and educators. The conference will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and nearby hotels.

Designed to enhance and expand science educators' professional growth, the four-day conference will feature hundreds of hands-on workshops, presentations about the latest breakthroughs in science, and demonstrations covering every discipline, grade level and teaching focus. Teachers will discuss popular issues, including the teaching of global climate change and evolution; the No Child Left Behind Act; science teacher recruitment and retention; inquiry-based mentoring; science literacy and K-12 education; science assessment; safety in the school science laboratory; and much more.

Leading the list of prominent speakers are Barbara Morgan, educator astronaut and elementary teacher, who will share her experiences and insights as a crewmember on NASA's STS-118 space shuttle mission and Dr. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), who will speak about the challenges of the teaching of evolution. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino will give welcoming remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 27. In addition, the popular Shell science seminars will feature top scientists who will delve into the topics of stem-cell biology, sickle cell disease, and protein folding.

Making its debut at the NSTA National Conference is the Ultimate Science Classroom Giveaway. NSTA will give away four science classrooms stocked with a multitude of teaching tools and top-quality classroom materials and products worth more than $150,000. Nationally-recognized educational supply companies and non-profit organizations exhibiting will provide the materials for each distinctive classroom: elementary, middle, high school, and college. The Ultimate Science Classroom Giveaway will be held on Saturday, March 29 in the exhibition hall.

At the Center for Science Education Gala and President's Banquet on Saturday, March 29, NSTA will celebrate the launch of its new $43 million national Center for Science Education campaign. Chaired by former NASA Astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn, this extraordinary new initiative will provide programs to promote leadership, learning and advocacy among the nation's science teachers, as well as a state-of-the-art facility that will allow educators to engage in these new programs. The banquet will be held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.

In addition, more than 400 companies and organizations from across the country will display the latest, state-of-the-art science education materials, tools, products, and services available in NSTA's Exhibition of Science Teaching Materials.

The NSTA National Conference on Science Education begins on Thursday, March 27 at 8 a.m. and will conclude at noon on Sunday, March 30. Teachers interested in attending the conference can register online at http://www.nsta.org/conferences/2008bos/registration.aspx.

About NSTA

The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes more than 57,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.