Learning Sessions


The Call for Presenters for the 2025 Summit is now closed!


Conference dates:

May 8-9, 2025


Call for Presenters is Closed

About the Learning Sessions

The Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit is intended to showcase innovative strategies to advance STEM integration in the classroom, providing direction on where to start planning and how to grow existing programs. All learning sessions should be designed to stimulate thinking across a broad range of subject areas and grade levels.

Additionally, we have reviewed survey results from the 2024 Summit and educators are requesting takeaways from sessions. This is something to consider when preparing your proposal. 

Our staff is are excited to work with you to help make your in-person learning session fun, creative, and informative!

Learning Sessions

  • Learning session proposals submitted by exhibitors without a Tennessee educator as the primary presenter will not be accepted.


  • 45 minutes in length


  • Mix of presentation/discussion/hands on


  • Takeaways are an essential part of the experience based on 2024 attendee survey results
  • How might you highlight those takeaways when preparing your proposal and engagement methods?



 Learning Session Focus Areas

The learning sessions are intended to provide attendees opportunities to interact with educational leaders and practitioners who are seeing success with integrating STEM practices in their classrooms and communities. Learning Sessions are to focus on timely, relevant topics centered on one of six focus areas. (Click each to read more.)

  • School Culture

    A school culture is intangible, but it’s essential. This track will explore strategies for creating a shared sense of purpose and value, instructional norms of continuous learning and improvement, and collaborative relationships that drive a STEM school culture.

  • Innovative Instructional Strategies

    Classroom learning can be highly engaging when infused with innovative STEM instructional strategies. In this track, participants will explore effective and unique classroom techniques to enrich traditional curricula. 

  • Community Partnerships

    When schools and community organizations collaborate to strengthen student learning outcomes, everyone benefits. In this track, strategies for intentionally selecting and engaging community stakeholders will be shared.

  • STEM Career Awareness

    Mastering the skills necessary for the jobs of the future is essential in preparing students for the future. In this track, the employability skills students must possess to be successful are identified along with practices to promote post-secondary success.

  • Enhancing Access to STEM Opportunities

    Ensuring all students have entry points to quality STEM teaching and learning experiences is essential for enhancing access to STEM opportunities. This track will present essential strategies for expanding STEM education access to a wide range of student groups.

  • Computer Science Education

    Computer Science is emerging as an integrative part of high quality STEM instruction cutting across all grade levels and content areas.  In this track, participants will discover innovative strategies and ideas for integrating students’ exposure to computer science and computational thinking concepts and skills as part of rigorous instruction.

How to Apply to Present

  • Download the preview form


  • Complete form in preparation


  • Visit online proposal portal to apply
  • All proposals must be submitted through our online portal. If your school blocks Zoho Forms, please apply using a different computer and/or from a different Wi-Fi connection (home, coffee shop, etc.). 


Please note:

1. You can save your work and return later to finish your application. You will have the option send yourself or copy a save/resume your application link. The TSIN does not have access to your save/resume link and cannot assist if it is lost.


2. If you would like to collaborate with a second presenter on your proposal, please only submit one application.


3. Once you submit your proposal, a confirmation of your submission will be emailed to you from tsin@battelle.org as confirmation of your submission. Please check your junk mail if you don't see it in your inbox immediately.


The Call for Presenters is now closed.


Download Preview Form

Proposal Evaluation

All proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria. 

Is the proposed session: 
  • relevant to a conference area of focus? (Listed above)
  • topic timely / appropriate?
Does the proposed session: 
  • have applicability to the intended audience?
  • have an interactive focus and does the proposal outline the specifics of the participant engagement?
  • demonstrate ideas or activities with proven effectiveness?
  • clearly describe the session?

Planning for Engagement

  1. Engage participants through collaborative activities like small groups or learning circles. 
  2. Consider a workshop-style presentation. Focus on tangible takeaways for efficient implementation
  3. Use polling technology to periodically check in with the participants and encourage them to share their voice.
  4. Create an activity for participants to engage in. Observe and ask probing questions to learn how they’re engaging with the task.
  5. Provide shareable moments like activities that require participants to create STEM-related prototypes, collages, or gallery walks.
  6. Ask participants to design a short presentation together and deliver it to the whole group.
  7. Poll for common problems, group according to concern, and then run small brainstorming sessions to create solutions for shared problems. 
  8. Utilize case studies and recent research to ground your session in evidence.