This year, we are excited to announce our theme of "Fall into the Enchanted Forest: Fostering the STEMs of Education." We encourage folks to embrace the theme as much or as little as they would like- whether that means incorporating it into your presenter proposal or dressing up day-of (fairy wings🧚‍♀️are optional). Prepare to be surrounded by LOTS of mushrooms 🍄 (they're fun-ghi to be with)! Who gnomes what else you might find. 😉

• Hear from our keynote speaker.
• Explore hands-on lab activities, share best practices for classroom pedagogy, and more!
• Meet other science teachers from greater Chicagoland.
• Receive science goody bags for attending and a chance to receive fun giveaways!
• Earn ISBE professional development hours for attendance.

• Does it cost anything to attend? Due to the generous support of the Baxter Foundation, we're able to cover registration fees for teachers so that you can attend the symposium for FREE!
• How do I get to the event? Directions to the Chicago Botanic Garden can be found here!
• How much does parking cost? Nothing! Attendees will not need to pay for parking. 
• What if transportation is a barrier to attending the event? We understand that our event may not be centrally located for everyone, and transportation could be a concern. If you need assistance with transportation to attend, please reach out to us at bcse@northwestern.edu. We are committed to making the event as accessible as possible and are happy to help in any way we can!
• What time should I get there? Registration and breakfast begin at 8am. It takes a little time to park and 5-10 minutes to walk to the event space.
• Will there be food? Yes! Light breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided.
• Do I get ISBE PD Hours? Yes! Illinois teachers will receive up to 6 ISBE PD hours for attendance. Please be sure to follow the instructions in your registration email prior to the event.
• I love the theme! Can I dress up? Absolutely! The BCSE Team is guaranteed to dress up! Just note that glitter is prohibited (womp womp).
• Uh-oh, now I can't make it? What do I do now? We only have a limited number of seats for this event, so if you can't make it, please let us know and we will give your place to another! You can either update your reservation status on your account or email us at bcse@northwestern.edu to let us know you can't make it.
• What should I bring? Feel free to bring a water bottle and something to take notes. Comfortable walking shoes are encouraged!

Interested in presenting at The Baxter Center Symposium? Do you have a new science activity, tool, or approach you would like to share with other teachers? We're excited to welcome fresh content and new session topics, and can't wait to hear everyone's perspectives. Click the link below this section to apply by Monday, May 4th. If you plan on a co-facilitation model, work together to submit one proposal (there will be a section to identify a co-facilitator's information). Final decisions will be made and applicants will be notified by end of May. Don't hesitate to apply if you're excited to bring something to the conference - we'd love to hear what you have to offer! Click below to apply! 

• Who can present at the Symposium? The Symposium is a great opportunity to develop, lead, or co-lead, a breakout session. We encourage any educator who is interested to submit a proposal! We hope to accept at least 2 sessions from new teacher presenters each year.
  • Excited about other ways to support your fellow community members? Check out our Leadership Opportunities here! 
• What can you expect from us? If your proposal is accepted, we're happy to support you as you develop your session for The Baxter Center Symposium!
• What do we expect from you? First and foremost, we expect you to bring your love of science and excitement for whatever you’re sharing with other educators! Beyond that, we ask that our presenters:

1. Provide us with information for the website such as session title, description, a photo, and a short bio of yourself.
2. Communicate to us what you need for your presentation to be successful.
3. Be on time, be present, lean in.
4. Enjoy yourself as you help build a community of science educators who will take these tools back to their classrooms.

• What types of activities can I propose during my breakout session? While we've had some messy science in the past, lab space is not guaranteed at the Chicago Botanic Garden, which shifts some of the materials and tools we can use. We're excited to see your ideas for sessions that could work in this context, and we're open to working with you on this! Note: Glitter is prohibited.
• Should my session fit a theme? We encourage presenters to share something teachers can “bring back to their classroom” the next day! Our Symposium sessions usually include some sort of hands-on lab or activity that educators can immediately implement. As noted in the section above, we will also be having an "Enchanted Forest" theme. Feel free to embrace this as much or as little as desired!
• How long should my presentation or activity be? Breakout sessions will be one hour. We recommend that folks plan for about 45 minutes, with 15 minutes open for Q&A or discussion.
• What are examples of topics that I can present? Check out last year's breakout sessions here!