Presenting at a Science Conference in High School
Formal presentations at a science conference are a big deal, with most being relegated to a posters session. At the Science Conference at High School, every student gets a chance to present in front of a scientific audience. This is a great experience and has the ability to be transformative. Here, the student presenter has the experience, expertise, and the knowledge that audience does not. This makes the presenter an important person.
Grassroots Effort to Change How Science is Taught
The Science Conference at Secondary School’s movement is a grassroots effort to help promote authentic science understanding in schools. For decades, the push to integrate the practices of scientists into the classroom has been a top down approach, yielding few results. Teachers feel chained to standardized tests, which push extraordinary quantities of content while summarily ignoring the epistemological and social aspects of science. Science Conference at the Secondary Schools changes the focus to doing science rather than doing school.