2025 Special Events 

SABER DAY: Annual SABER Midwest Meeting

9:00 AM - 3:30 PM 
Get Tickets Here

Join the Society for the Advancement for Biology Education Research (SABER) for the 3^rd Annual SABER Midwest meeting. This event will be co-located with NABT and will feature highlighted speakers, short talks and posters. You can attend SABER or stay for the entire NABT meeting.

IGELS: Cultivating Authentic Dialogue in College STEM Classrooms

10:30 AM - 3:30 PM 
Get Tickets Here

Undergraduate instructors of non-majors biology courses are invited to learn more about implementing activities and resources developed by the IGELS (Interactions in General Education Life Science) project. IGELS “Catalysts” will be introduced to the suite of IGELS resources and frameworks, including the LifeSkills guide, the Intentional Pedagogy Framework, and new models of Scientific Literacy and the Undergraduate Science Education Ecosystem.

 Lunch will be provided.

Authentic scientific research and data for the classroom with Data Nuggets

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

Data Nuggets are free resources, co-designed by scientists and teachers to bring authentic data and research into classrooms. They highlight the true process of science, along with any surprises along the way. In this session, co-Founder Elizabeth Schultheis, will demonstrate best practices for their use in biology classrooms.

20 in 20 And Beyond

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

Come try numerous 20-minute inquiry-based activities that are sure to engage and excite your students. You and your students will be glad you did!

NCSE Presents: Scientific Literacy in the Digital Age of Misinformation

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

Students are being exposed to more misinformation and disinformation about science than ever before. NCSE’s DataWISE tool scaffolds key science practices and media literacy skills to guide students in critical analysis of data-based claims.

Novel Ways of Engaging Sophisticated Upper-Level Biology Students through Yoga & Mindfulness

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

This presentation focuses on novel assignments designed to incorporate out-of-the-classroom experiences to more fully engage students in courses like human anatomy and physiology. Students use their own movement experiences to better understand the human body!

Scientific Modeling with HHMI BioInteractive: Using Models to Visualize, Explain, and Predict

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

Participants will explore ways to engage students in visualizing, explaining, and making predictions about phenomena using models. We will highlight Model Builder and other free BioInteractive resources. Bringing a laptop is recommended.

SCST Presents: Optimizing Instructional Strategies

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

Join SCST’s interactive session as college science educators share their favorite techniques and explore strategies to optimize instructional efficacy, college student engagement, and course enjoyment.

 Session 1: Stories and Structures: Exploring factors that shape STEM education

Rewriting History with College Science Students: The ‘Story Behind the Story’ Optimizes Student Understanding of the Nature of Science and Students’ Science Identities

Renee M. Clary, Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, MS)

Differential Impacts of Family Income Background on GPA and STEM Retention Among Undergraduate STEM Students Prior to STEM Intervention Program Implementation

Amanda Surman, Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY)

Session 2: Empowering STEM students: Inquiry-guided learning and the impact of supportive environments

Improving Science Self-Efficacy Through the Use of Inquiry-Guided Learning

Derrick A. Nero, University of Nebraska at Omaha (Omaha, NE)

STEM Spaces

Orinna Clark, National Louis University (Wheeling, IL)
Ian Moncrief, National Louis University (Chicago, IL)

Session 3: Applied Science Pedagogies — Using Real-World Data and Experiences to Engage Students

Classroom Blatticomposting

Michael D. Bechtel, Wartburg College (Waverly, IA)

Using Spatial Data to Enhance Science Classes

Athena Nagel, Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, MS)

Using Societal Challenges as Phenomena in Three-Dimensional Units to Develop Student Agency

12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
FREE
Get Tickets Here

Experience how BSCS’s Anchored Inquiry Learning instructional model leverages complex, culturally relevant societal challenges as phenomena in three-dimensional teaching and learning to support all students’ learning and development of agency!

AP Biology Section Meeting

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 
FREE
RSVP Here

Grab your breakfast and meet other AP Biology teachers in a friendly, informal setting to share insights, ask questions, and build community. You may even get to meet some of your favorite AP colleagues in person. The luncheon includes a special presentation of the Kim Foglia AP Biology Service Award.

Sponsored by

Elementary & Middle-Level Meeting

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 
FREE
RSVP Here

Grab your breakfast and meet up with other elementary and middle-level teachers at this informal networking lunch designed to help you connect with colleagues.

Four-Year College & University Section Meeting

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 
FREE
RSVP Here

Faculty, education researchers, graduate students, and anyone associated with four-year colleges and universities are invited to network with colleagues and learn about section programs and opportunities. There will also be a special presentation of the Four-Year College & University Section Awards. 

High School Level Meeting

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 
FREE
RSVP Here

If you teach funny Freshmen, serious Seniors, and/or everyone in-between, you will want to grab your breakfast, grab a seat, and connect with other high school biology teachers in this informal setting.

Two-Year College Section Meeting

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM 
FREE
RSVP Here

Join a supportive community of two-year college educators to share your strategies, your struggles, and your successes. The winners of the Two-Year College Biology Teaching Award and the Professor Chan Teaching Award will also be recognized.

Friday Night Science Disco and Halloween Party (RSVP Only)

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
FREE
RSVP Here

Get ready to dance the night away at NABT’s Science Disco & Halloween Party! This unique event will feature food, fun, and friends catching up and getting down. Don’t have boogie fever? You can still show up in costume and enjoy a night of games, contests, and laughs in the famous lobby of the Historic Union Station Hotel. Tickets are not needed, and everyone is welcome.

BioClub Breakfast

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM
FREE
RSVP Here

You’re invited to join the (Bio)Club! The NABT BioClub continues to grow, with new chapters being formed at K-12 schools, community colleges, and informal learning organizations. Current and future BioClub advisors are invited to share their favorite stories and resources.

Sponsored by

NABT Honors Luncheon

11:00 AM - 1:45 PM
$50 ($60 onsite)
RSVP Here

NABT is proud to recognize the 2025 NABT Award Recipients during this celebratory event. We will honor exceptional biology teachers from all levels, and everyone is welcome to join us to congratulate these remarkable professionals.