As we all continue to support caregivers and children learning together at home, what are the successes and challenges we’ve encountered? What are the top five things caregivers and children might need at home to do hands-on STEM activities remotely with us? From hands-on science kits to adapting activities to use what you can find in your kitchen, presenters from Carnegie Science Center (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Discovery Place (Charlotte, North Carolina), the Institute for Learning Innovation (Beaverton, Oregon), the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland, Oregon), and GrowingGreat (Los Angeles, California) will share their experiences.
All presenters are members of the GrowingGreat Veggies & Fruits program sponsored by Del Monte Foods, Inc.
View the recording
About the presenters
Christina Soff is the Education Coordinator for the Demonstration Theaters Department at Carnegie Science Center. She is going into her fifth year with the science center and during her tenure has developed live theater stage shows and floor demonstrations on a variety of science themes. Although she enjoys developing content for all types of programming, she is passionate about creating programming for early learners, individuals that may have sensory sensitivities and incorporating STEAM education throughout the museum exhibit gallery floors. Christina loves getting all people excited about science!
Gabor Zsuppan is the Senior Director of STEM and Exhibit Experience Design at Discovery Place. Gabor is an experienced and skilled educational leader with nearly two decades of experience across different aspects of formal and informal 21st Century learning. First, as a classroom teacher in Camden, New Jersey, Bronx, New York, and Charlotte, North Carolina, Gabor taught multiple subjects in middle grades, predominantly science. In 2008, he joined Discovery Place as a Project Manager on a large renovation project, during which he managed or assisted on three large exhibition designs. Once the new Discovery Place opened in 2010, Gabor moved into managing facilitated programs inside and outside museums and teacher professional development programs, serving in multiple roles, including Director of Education. In 2016, Gabor joined Discovery Education and through June of 2019, served in a management role on the Professional Development team as the Director of the Southeast region, responsible for teacher professional development implementations for ten states from the Carolinas to Louisiana.
Elysa Corin, Ph.D. is an education researcher at the Institute for Learning Innovation who studies free-choice learning across contexts, including learning in the home, museums, parks, community-based organizations, workplaces, and schools. Her research focuses on learning science, as well as the environments, resources, and tools that support self-directed learning. An important driver of Corin’s work is improving access to learning opportunities by identifying and removing barriers faced by learners of different genders, races, geographies, and socioeconomics. She is interested in how relationships and partnerships among organizations can support learners of all ages in their communities.
Rachel Stolfe is the Food Science Coordinator at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. She specializes in teaching middle school Food Science courses as well as maker workshops for adults and families.
Meghan Nealon is the STEM Program Manager at GrowingGreat. Prior to joining GrowingGreat in 2019, Meghan spent four years as a primary grade teaching assistant at Siskiyou Waldorf School in Ashland, Oregon. She also spent three wonderful years working in a French bakery where she experienced first-hand the joy of eating homegrown and locally-sourced foods. Meghan’s passion for creative, culturally-relevant, accessible education and background in Waldorf teaching and theatre arts have cultivated her interest in both environmental and arts integrative education techniques. Meghan works to incorporate these pedagogies into her work with KIPP Empower Academy’s afterschool garden class, and as the Virtual Garden Educator for Leuzinger High School’s Environmental Career Academy. Meghan leads GrowingGreat’s PenPal Club, for which she creates weekly STEM activities and recipe demonstrations, and contributes virtual content to GrowingGreat’s Reading Club. Meghan develops and writes many of the STEM activities for the GrowingGreat Veggies & Fruits Program as well as proposals for GrowingGreat’s distance learning programs. Meghan holds a B.F.A degree in Theater Arts from Southern Oregon University and is passionate about promoting educational equity through innovative garden and nutrition education.
Jill Coons is the Director of Education at GrowingGreat. Jill came to GrowingGreat in 2012 with a background in sustainable gardens, youth nutrition, and volunteer and business coordination. She oversees garden and nutrition curriculum development and designed and implements GrowingGreat’s After-School and Jr. Chefs programs. She oversees school partnerships and national conference booths related to the GrowingGreat Veggies & Fruits Program.
Date:
June 24, 2021
1:00 pm — 2:00 pm ET
Price: Free