Volunteers attend the 2024 National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) conference in Denver 

By Helen Widman

With eight volunteers, three days of science, and two exciting demonstrations, the 2024 National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) conference exposed teachers from around the country to ceramic and glass materials science. 

NSTA volunteers from left to right: Bill Long, Amanda Bellafatto, Wayne Yeo, Nathan McIlwaine, Pandora Picariello, Shannon Rogers, Sierra Astle. Not pictured: Scott Thompson.

The NSTA National Conference on Science Education took place from March 20 to 23 in Denver, Colorado. NSTA, which is made up of more than 40,000 members, hosted thousands of teachers at the conference this year. 

A group of volunteers attended the conference to represent the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) and the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation (CGIF), including Shannon Rogers, Nathan McIlwaine, Bill Long, Scott Thompson, Pandora Picariello, Amanda Bellafatto, Sierra Astle, and Wayne Yeo.  

Rogers, who is pursuing her PhD in materials science at the Colorado School of Mines, wanted to participate in outreach with the ACerS Colorado Section and came up with the idea to bring the ACerS and CGIF presence to the Denver conference. 

NSTA volunteers in action at the ACerS/CGIF booth.

“We met with more teachers than we could count, wowed them with our demonstrations, periodic table pens, and all the free resources volunteers and ACerS staff have spent years putting together,” Rogers says. “Most were overjoyed, grateful, and said they would definitely sign up for the Kit Grant Application.” 

The volunteers demonstrated two CGIF lessons from the Materials Science Classroom Kit: The Candy Fiber Pull and Shape Memory Alloys. The demonstrations helped draw in teachers by being visually engaging and interactive. The volunteers also helped spread awareness about the CGIF Kit Grant so that the foundation can provide teachers with the kit materials and full lesson plans they need to bring these lessons into their classrooms.  

Many science teachers learned that materials science overlaps with nearly every science subject, and that it can unlock a variety of STEM-based careers for their students. The CGIF is grateful for the student and ACerS volunteers who helped facilitate such a successful experience at the 2024 NSTA conference.

You can help CGIF expand our presence at outreach events like this by visiting ceramics.org/donate. 

Share This