Utah Science Teaching Association upcoming events

2026 Spring: SUU Physics 2 for Teachers Online Endorsement Course (29 Jan 2026)

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMT

This course will introduce you to the basics of physics: vibrations, waves, light, electricity, magnetism, and modern physics. As you begin to understand and analyze basic principles of physics, you will gain a greater understanding of the world around you and other areas of science.

It's important to note that this is a college-level course and you will be expected to understand the material at a much higher level than you will likely incorporate in your classroom.

This is a content course that utilizes 3D pedagogy. This course does not provide a full understanding of 3D pedagogy, but incorporates the Utah SEEd Standards which include NGSS science practices, crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. Lesson plan creation is part of the course. Emphasis is on best practices used to teach this content in a classroom. The estimated time commitment is 6-8 hours a week. (This course does not count as the Three-Dimensional Science and Engineering Pedagogical Knowledge course required for some endorsements.)

This Online Endorsement Course meets the Utah State Science Endorsement Course Requirements for:

Physics 1: General Physics 1

Upon successful completion, the participants will receive 3.0 Southern Utah University Credits. The $69 fee will be paid by the participant directly to SUU at the beginning of the course.

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

The cost for this course is a $50 refundable registration fee, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $600 fee.
Participants will also need to pay an additional $69 for 3 university credits directly to SUU. (Instructions coming soon.) This fee is refundable if you are are a contracted teacher. It is nonrefundable if you are not a contracted teacher. Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds.
Upon successful completion of the course with a C 75% or higher, UtSTA will reimburse you the $50 registration fee and the SUU credits fee. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement.
If you do not pass the course with at least a C 74%, you will be billed for the remaining balance of the course which is $600.

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

Cancellation Policy:

If you cancel or withdraw 14 days or more after the course begins:

You will be billed the full tuition balance.
You will not be reimbursed for the $50 registration fee or the university credit fee.
A "W" (Withdrawal) will appear on your SUU transcript.

BYU 2026 Three Dimensional Science and Engineering (08 Jun 2026)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Three Dimensional Science and Engineering

Description: This course satisfies the Three Dimensional Science and Engineering Requirement for the Secondary Science Core (6-8) Endorsement. - In this class you will engage with science phenomena in authentic ways; dive into science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas; and, reflect upon how this can be carried out by learners at all levels. You will actively participate with the science and one another during this intensive weeklong workshop after doing some preliminary reading and work before meeting in person. Final projects will be finished after the in-person workshop and shared with others in the course.

Instructor: Josh Stowers (BYU) & Matt Woolley (Alpine)
Location: Mountain Ridge Junior High (5525 W 10400 N St, Highland, UT)
Course Contact: Josh Stowers josh_stowers@byu.edu

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

Registration is $50 for Public School Educators who are under contract plus BYU credit cost of $153.00. The total of $203.00 is refundable through UtSTA.
Registration is $800 for teachers who are NOT Public School Educators who are under contract plus credit cost. Refer to this document if you have any question. This is NOT refundable.
3 semester hours of BYU Credits must be paid separate from the course registration. BYU credits cost $51.00 per credit for a total of $153.00. Register through BYU Continuing Education by clicking HERE (Note: This course will show as BIO 559R Biological Science. This course fulfills the requirements for the Three Dimensional Science course with USBE.)
You must pass the course with a C or better or will be required to pay UtSTA and additional $750 within two weeks of course ending
Registration Costs are to cover the course instructor, meeting location(s), and supplies. NOTE: You must be a UtSTA member to take this course. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

UVUGEO525R/UtSTA 2026 Physical Geology (08 Jun 2026)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Hosted by Utah Science Teachers Association, Brigham Young University, and Utah Valley State University.

Physical Geology UVU - 19007 GEO 525R

Description: This course will focus on learning and teaching concepts of geology. This week-long geology course will include inquiry style learning with methods to reach and engage students in the study of geology. Fabulous trips will be scheduled for the entire week of the course. Several local field trips during the courses.

Instructor: Peter Edmondson

Course Contact: Dawn Monson - dmonson@utsta.org

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

The cost for this course is a $50 refundable registration fee, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $900 fee.
Participants will also need to pay for 3 university credits directly to the university. (See next bullet) This fee is refundable if you are a contracted teacher. It is nonrefundable if you are not a contracted teacher. Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds.
The teachers who have not taken classes at UVU in the past will first need to apply for admission. Those who have not taken classes recently may have to apply for readmission. Once the student has been admitted they will be able to register for the classes. Here is the link to the Admissions page where they can go to apply to UVU. Here (LINK COMING SOON) is the link for registration, as that is found within the individual students MyUVU which they will have access to once they are admitted. This link will take them to MyUVU.Here is the CRN for this course.19007 GEO 525R
Upon successful completion of the course with a C (74%) or higher, UtSTA will reimburse you the $50 registration fee and the UVU credits fee. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement. If you do not pass the course you will pay the balance of $850 by July 10, 2026.

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

BYU/UtSTA 2026 Physics 1 (08 Jun 2026)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Hosted by Utah Science Teachers Association, Brigham Young University.

Physics 1

Description: Physics 1 covers motion through energy. Fits any physics textbook or physics curriculum.

Instructors: Duane Merrell

Course Contacts:

Duane Merrell (duane_merrell@byu.edu)

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

Registration is $50 plus BYU credit cost ($153.00) for Public School Educators who are under contract. Both are refundable through UtSTA.
We will start at 9:00 am on Monday Morning June 8, 2025 and finish Friday June 12, 2026 around noon. Monday – Thursday finish time is late afternoon depending on wrap up of the day’s activity. (Before 5:00 pm) Room N106 Eyring Science Center, BYU Provo Campus.
If you do not successfully pass the course with a C (75%) or better you will be required to pay the additional $750 by July 1st.
Registration is $800 plus credit cost for teachers who are NOT Public School Educators under contract. Refer to this document if you have any question. This is NOT refundable.
3 semester hours of BYU Credits need to be paid separate from the course registration. BYU credits cost $51 per credit for a total of $153. To register for credit click HERE. You will need to login either with a BYU netid or as a guest. If you login and it does not take you to the registration page, come back to this page and click the link again after you have logged in to the BYU page. Once on the registration page, select the courses you are registering for, then proceed through the next screens. Note that these courses will show up as "PHSCS 513R - Special Topics in Contemporary Physics" but will count toward the selected course.

BYU/UtSTA Astronomy 2026--Emery High School in Castle Dale, Utah (15 Jun 2026)

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Hosted by Utah Science Teaching Association and BYU.

Astronomy

Description: This course will focus on learning and teaching Astronomy. This week long course will include inquiry style learning with methods to reach and engage students in the study of Astronomy. Fabulous evening viewing opportunities occur each evening of the course. This is a field experience with night time viewing. You will be able to use a telescope to find objects in the sky during this workshop. The Castle Dale area has gorgeous night skies and Emery High School is very gracious to host the event. This UtSTA Astronomy workshop is much more than a paper pencil class and UtSTA looks forward to hosting you for the week.

Instructor: Emma Smith, Adam Benion
Course Contact: Duane Merrell duane_merrell@byu.edu or Dawn Monson dmonson@utsta.org

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

We will meet in Castle Dale at 11:00 AM on June 15th and complete the class by Noon on June 19, 2025. Overnight stay is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights.

The cost for this course is a $450 nonrefundable registration fee, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher for cost of the lodging. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $1150 fee.

Participants will also need to pay for 3 university credits directly to the university. This fee is refundable if you are a contracted teacher and pass the course with a 74% or better. It is nonrefundable if you are not a contracted teacher. Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds. BYU credits cost $51.00 per credit for a total of $153.00. To register and pay for credit click HERE. You will need to login either with a BYU netid or as a guest. If you login and it does not take you to the registration page, come back to this page and click the link again after you have logged in to the BYU page. Once on the registration page, select the courses you are registering for, then proceed through the next screens. Note that these courses will show up as "PHSCS 513R - Special Topics in Contemporary Physics" but will count toward the selected course.
Upon successful completion of the course with a C (74%) or higher, UtSTA will reimburse you the BYU credits fee of $153.00. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement.
If you do not successfully pass the course with a C or higher you will be required to pay the balance of $700.00 by July 19, 2026

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

Courses dropped after the start date will not be refunded.

BYU 2026 Secondary Teaching Methods in Science (22 Jun 2026)

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Brigham Young University, 3 semester hours of University Credit.

Secondary Science Instructional Methods: Bringing Students Doing Science Back Into The Science Classroom.

Description: Top-notch, exciting, engaging, and just plain fun, this class is designed for teachers in all stages of their career who are interested in bringing the excitement of science into the classroom. The investigations used in the course are Core specific and designed for teachers to become proficient in implementing Utah SEEd Standards in their own classrooms.

Instructors: Dr. Adam Bennion, Josh Stowers

Course Contact: Josh Stowers (josh_stowers@byu.edu) Or Dawn Monson dmonson@

The cost for this course is a $50 refundable registration fee, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $800 fee.

Participants will also need to pay for 3 university credits directly to the university. This fee is refundable if you are a contracted teacher. It is nonrefundable if you are not a contracted teacher. Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds. BYU credits cost $51.00 per credit for a total of $153.00. To register& Pay for credit click HERE You will need to login either with a BYU netid or as a guest. If you login and it does not take you to the registration page, come back to this page and click the link again after you have logged in to the BYU page. Once on the registration page, select the courses you are registering for, then proceed through the next screens. Note that this courses will show up as "PHSCS 513R - Special Topics in Contemporary Physics" but will count toward the selected course.
Upon successful completion of the course with a C or higher 74%, UtSTA will reimburse you the $50 registration fee and the BYU credits fee. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement.
If you do not successfully pass the course with a C (74% ) or better you will be required to pay the remaining $750. by July 3, 2026.

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

Classes dropped after the course starts are not refundable.

Reading, Writing & Thinking Like Scientists: K–3 Classrooms in Action - 6/27/2026 (27 Jun 2026)

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

This Professional Learning Day is for all K-3 teachers. Funding provided by the Meta Data Center Community Action Grant

Reading, Writing & Thinking Like Scientists: K–3 Classrooms in Action. Help young learners do more than read about science. In this one-day conference, explore how students can engage deeply with science through literacy, inquiry, and innovation. This conference focuses on practical ways to use reading, writing, and discussion as tools for sensemaking and integrating emerging tools like AI to support student thinking and discovery. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies and lessons that build strong readers while developing curious, capable young scientists. Join us as we collaborate, connect, and empower K–3 students to read, write, and think like scientists every day.
Join us at John Hancock CS (2890 Scarlet Rd, Eagle Mountain, UT 84005) for a one day professional learning that will transform your classroom. Two Sessions for specific grade level (K-3) in two hour sessions where presenters will take the participants through the learning sequence so they can experience the full sequence of using science as the lens for literacy and building the scientist in each of your students.
You have the option of receiving .5 SUU Graduate Credit for only $11.50 if you would like in place of the 6 relicensure points. Instructions coming soon for the SUU credit and the short assignment will be due by July 27th.
Donations of prizes provided by Lakeshore Learning
Each attendee received the book Rise & Thrive with Science - National Academies - Kober, Nancy

#Keynote by Melissa Mendenhall

#Lunch included

#Prizes & Swag & Materials

#Limit of 100 registrants.

#supersaturdayscience

#nosubplansneeded

BYU/UtSTA 2025 Physics 2 (06 Jul 2026)

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Hosted by Utah Science Teachers Association, Brigham Young University.

Physics 2

Description: Atomic nature of matter, electricity, light and color and Heat are topics for Physics 2. Fits any physics textbook or physics curriculum.

Instructors: Duane Merrell & Lars Johnson

Course Contacts:

Duane Merrell (duane_merrell@byu.edu) & Dawn Monson dmonson@utsta.org

Important Course Information

The cost for this course is a $50 refundable registration fee, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $800 fee.
Participants will also need to pay for 3 university credits directly to the university. This fee is refundable if you are a contracted teacher. It is nonrefundable if you are not a contracted teacher. Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds. BYU credits cost $51.00 per credit for a total of $153.00. To register for credit click HERE. You will need to login either with a BYU netid or as a guest. If you login and it does not take you to the registration page, come back to this page and click the link again after you have logged in to the BYU page. Once on the registration page, select the courses you are registering for, then proceed through the next screens. Note that these courses will show up as "PHSCS 513R - Special Topics in Contemporary Physics" but will count toward the selected course.
Upon successful completion of the course with a C (74%) or higher, UtSTA will reimburse you the $50 registration fee and the BYU credits fee. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement.
If you do not successfully pass the course with a C (74%) or better you will be required to pay the additional $750 to UtSTA by July 30. 2026.

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

Classes dropped after the course starts are not refundable.

UVU-CHEM/UtSTA 2026 Chemistry 1 (CRN 19021) (06 Jul 2026)

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Hosted by Utah Science Teachers Association and Utah Valley University.

Chemistry 1 - UVU Credit -

Description: The course will focus on learning and teaching chemistry. Introduces you to properties of solutions, reactions rate and mechanisms, reversible reactions, systems at equilibrium (including gaseous, acid-base, and precipitate), nuclear chemistry, and polymer chemistry. This week-long chemistry course will include inquiry style learning with methods to reach and engage students in the study of chemistry. Taught at Westlake High School. Don Bastian a master chemistry teacher leads this course. Come away with new content knowledge, labs completed and with pedagogical skills to use when teaching chemistry.

Instructor: Don Bastian

Course Contact: Dawn Monson dmonson@utsta.org

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:

The cost for this course is a $50 refundable registration fee upon 74% or better completion, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $900 fee.
Participants will also need to Apply for 3 university credits directly to the university. (See next bullet point) . Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds.
The teachers who have not taken classes at UVU in the past will first need to apply for admission. Those who have not taken classes recently may have to apply for readmission. Once the student has been admitted they will be able to register for the classes. HERE is the link to the Admissions page where they can go to apply to UVU.The link is found within the individual students MyUVU which they will have access to once they are admitted. This link is coming soon and will take them to MyUVU. Here is the CRNs for the this Chemistry course. Advanced Topics for Chemistry Teachers (CRN 19021)
Upon successful completion of the course with a C (74%) or higher, UtSTA will reimburse you the $50 registration fee and the UVU credits fee. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement.
If you do not successfully pass the course with a C (74%) or better you will be required to pay the Balance of $850.

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

BYU/UtSTA 2026 Advanced Physics LAB (13 Jul 2026)

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Summer Endorsement/Professional Development Series. Hosted by Utah Science Teachers Association, Brigham Young University.

Advanced Physics Lab

Description: This physics lab course will apply the content from the Physics 1 course. Requirement area 10: Physics Laboratory Content Knowledge of the Physics 1 Endorsement. Additionally, it could meet Requirement area 4: Physics Content Knowledge of the Science Core Endorsement.

Instructors: Duane Merrell

Course Contacts:

Duane Merrell (duane_merrell@byu.edu) Dawn Monson Dmonson@utsta.org

Important Course Information

The cost for this course is a $50 refundable registration fee, if you are a UtSTA Member and a contracted teacher. If you are not a contracted Utah Public School educator, the cost for the course is a nonrefundable $900 fee.
Participants will also need to pay for 3 university credits directly to the university. This fee is refundable if you are a contracted teacher and pass with a 74% or better. It is nonrefundable if you are not a contracted teacher. Refer to this document if you have any questions about refunds. BYU credits cost $51.00 per credit for a total of $153.00. To register for credit click HERE. You will need to login either with a BYU netid or as a guest. If you login and it does not take you to the registration page, come back to this page and click the link again after you have logged in to the BYU page. Once on the registration page, select the courses you are registering for, then proceed through the next screens. Note that these courses will show up as "PHSCS 513R - Special Topics in Contemporary Physics" but will count toward the selected course.
Upon successful completion of the course with a C (74%) or higher, UtSTA will reimburse you the $50 registration fee and the BYU credits fee. You must be a contracted teacher with a public school/district to qualify for reimbursement.
If you do not successfully pass the course with a C (74%) or better you will be required to pay the additional $750 to UtSTA by July 30. 2026.

NOTE: You MUST be a current member of UtSTA to take this course. If you are not a current member of UtSTA you can purchase/renew your membership. To join today, CLICK HERE.

By registering and paying, you agree that if you are not able to attend you will cancel at least 2 weeks before the class starts or your registration fees will be forfeited.

Classes dropped after the course starts are not refundable.

UtSTA 2026 Annual Conference "Sustain the Spark" (23 Oct 2026)

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Early Bird Rates (until Oct 1, 2026)

Member $130
Non Member $190
Student/Student Teacher/1st year Teacher= $80

Rates Starting Oct 2-Oct 22nd

Member $150
Non Member $210
Student/Student Teacher/1st year Teacher=$90

Rates Day of Conference (Oct 23rd)

Member $200
Non Member 240
Student/Student Teacher/1st year Teacher=$100

Registration codes will be sent to accepted presenters

Vendor for profit: $800

Vendor for nonprofit: $325 (501C3)

Log into your account for member options or

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Watch for information about the awards dinner the evening of October 23rd

Keynote speaker Dr. Scott Tinker! In addition to the keynote, there will be 13 different themed strands throughout the day and 4 different breakout session for each to help you with your teaching curriculum with ideas, demos, lessons, etc. We hope you can join us for a great day that will help you and your students better appreciate science and science education.

Teacher Awards will be given before the Keynote.

Refund: full refund until September 23, 2026 for Teachers. Vendors please see specific info on registration.