About NSTA

An Overview

Founded in 1944 (as the National Science Teachers Association), the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership of 50,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education.

NSTA’s Guiding Principles

• Model excellence;
• Champion science literacy;
• Value scientific excellence;
• Embrace diversity, equity, and respect;
• Enhance teaching and learning through research;
• Collaborate with partners; and
• Exemplify a dynamic professional organization.

NSTA’s Strategic Plan  

In the fall of 2014, NSTA unveiled its new strategic plan, NSTA Strategic Goals 2015. The plan identifies six overarching goals that will provide a road map to guide and prioritize the work of the association over the next five years. Goals include:

1. Advocacy – Raise the status of science education and science teaching as a profession by advocating for high-quality science education within national, state, and local contexts.
2. Professional Learning – Enhance the professional learning of science educators by providing a suite of tools, resources, and opportunities that support long-term growth within a collaborative learning environment.
3. Next Generation Science Standards and STEM – Revitalize science education to boost student achievement and science literacy, and bolster U.S. economic standing.
4. Elementary Education – Nurture scientific curiosity among children in the earliest grades.
5. Membership – Enrich the NSTA membership experience through enhanced peer-to-peer engagement and differentiated benefits.
6. Internal Organizational Goals – Fulfilling the goals and objectives outlined in this plan requires updates in infrastructure, as well as certain tactical staff supports.

Governance

The NSTA Board of Directors consists of elected officers and directors representing the ten divisions within the organization. The Divisions are:

• Preschool and Elementary Division
• Middle Level Division
• High School Division
• College Division
• Informal Science Division
• Division of Research in Science Education
• Division of Coordination and Supervision
• Division of Preservice Teacher Preparation
• Division of Multicultural/Equity in Science Education
• Division of Professional Learning

The Executive Director is a nonvoting, ex-officio secretary and there is a nonvoting ex-officio treasurer. There are three elected members in the presidential chain: the president-elect, the president and the retiring president. Each of their terms is one year.

The NSTA Council is composed of one director elected from each of NSTA 18 districts. The NSTA Council serves as the advisory body to the Board of Directors. The Council makes recommendations for consideration by the Board of Directors and attends all meetings of the Congress as non-voting members. All members of the Council have the responsibility for promoting NSTA programs.

The Alliance of Affiliates consists of one voting delegate from the NSTA affiliate organizations. NSTA Affiliate organizations include:

• Association for Science Teacher Education
• Association for Multicultural Science Education
• Association of Science-Technology Centers
• Council for Elementary Science International
• Council of State Science Supervisors
• National Association for Research in Science Teaching
• National Middle level Science Teachers Association
• National Science Education Leadership Association
• Society for College Science Teachers
• WIDA

The Congress comprises one voting delegate from each Chapter and Associated Group. The NSTA Congress meets each summer for the purpose of identifying and examining issues from the local perspective.

IRS Form 990 (2016)

The Center for Science Education Campaign

The Center for Science Education Campaign—led by Honorary Chair Senator John Glenn—is a $43 million national effort to make excellence in science teaching and learning a reality for all U.S. students. This effort—one of the most significant ever undertaken by NSTA—will fund a body of forward-thinking programs and initiatives that promote leadership, learning, and advocacy in science education. An extraordinary state-of-the art facility will house these programs and serve as a national home base for all teachers of science. Learn more.

Journals and Publications

To address subjects of critical interest to science educators, the Association publishes a professional journal for each level of science teaching; a 52-page newspaper, NSTA Reports; and many other educational books and professional publications. Publications, books, posters, and other educational tools are available through the NSTA Recommends catalog and online.

Professional Learning

NSTA offers a wide range of professional learning opportunities for science educators at all levels, including the NSTA Learning Center, NSTA Conferences on Science Education, Research Dissemination Conferences, NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, and much more.

Conferences

To enhance professional learning and provide networking forums for science educators, each year NSTA conducts a national conference and a series of area conferences. These events attract over 30,000 attendees annually. At the conferences, teachers may choose from hundreds of workshops, demonstrations, and presentations covering every discipline, grade level, and teaching focus. They hear nationally renowned speakers address the hottest topics in science education and learn about the latest breakthroughs from experts in the field.

Science Matters

NSTA's Science Matters initiative is a major public awareness and engagement campaign designed to rekindle a national sense of urgency and action among schools and families about the importance of science education and science literacy. Science Matters builds on the success of the Building a Presence for Science program, first launched in 1997 as an e-networking initiative to assist teachers of science with professional learning opportunities. The Building a Presence for Science network—now the Science Matters network—reaches readers in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

Awards and Recognition Programs

Each year the Association and its sponsors reward and recognize teachers and students with cash awards, school supplies and materials, trips to our national convention, U.S. savings bonds, and more. NSTA administers a robust Awards Program and several exciting competitions to recognize the professional efforts of teachers and the innovative talents of their students.

Advocating for Science and Science Teachers

The Association serves as an advocate for science educators by keeping its members and the general public informed about national issues and trends in science education. NSTA disseminates results from nationwide surveys and reports and offers testimony to Congress on science education-related legislation and other issues. The Association develops position statements on issues such as teacher preparation, laboratory science, use of animals in the classroom, laboratory safety, and elementary and middle level science.

Staff

There are approximately one hundred full-time staff at NSTA headquarters managed by the following senior staff:

• Conferences Division: Delores Howard
• Operations Division: Moira Baker