Events

Celebrating a Decade of Igniting Hearts and Minds

Exploring STEAM learning makes magic happen at the 10th Annual Curiosity and Learning Conference

When curiosity meets community, magic happens—and our 10th Annual Curiosity and Learning Conference proved that in spades. This wasn’t just another educational event—it was a celebration, a milestone, and pure inspiration wrapped up in one incredible day that left everyone buzzing with new ideas and renewed passion for learning.

Throughout the day, literacy wove through science experiments, live creatures sparked mathematical thinking, books opened doorways to engineering challenges, and art became a vehicle for understanding physics. This wasn’t compartmentalized learning—it was the beautiful, interconnected reality of how children actually make sense of their world.

Sensemaking and productive uncertainty set the day in motion

The day began with participants exploring an incredible array of stations before Dean Penny Bishop delivered a welcome that made everyone feel the significance of this milestone moment. What made it even more special? This was Dean Bishop’s very first Curiosity and Learning Conference, and she stayed, learned, and engaged right alongside everyone else.

Following Dean Bishop’s inspiring welcome, Eve Manz and I shared insights from our recently released books. Drawing from my book, Making Sense of Sensemaking: Designing Authentic K–12 STEM Learning Experiences, and Eve’s Productive Uncertainty in Science Education: Engaging Students in Meaningful Science Practice, we explored how sensemaking serves as the bridge between mystery and knowledge, where confusion ignites discovery and learners transform from passive receivers to active creators.

What mattered most was setting the stage for participants to recognize these principles in action throughout the day. Every station they were about to experience would embody this philosophy of learning through curiosity, exploration, and productive struggle.

Everyone brought their A-game

The energy of the day was absolutely palpable. Educators, administrators, and learning enthusiasts moved from station to station with wide-eyed wonder. The questions were thoughtful, conversations were deep, and connections—between ideas, people, and theory and practice—were the kind that ripple outward, influencing entire communities.

The heart of this conference beats through its station leaders, and this year’s lineup was absolutely phenomenal. Every single station was hands-on, mind-opening, and designed to spark those “aha!” moments that educators live for.

• Paul Murphy (Hampshire College Early Learning Center) invited participants into a world of natural creativity, channeling Andy Goldsworthy’s work exploring how nature’s materials spark design thinking and open-ended artistic expression.
• The magic continued with Vicky de la Garza (the Advent School) and Stephanie Folland, who created an enchanting space where mirrors became portals to discovery through mirror writing, symmetry art, and kaleidoscope creation.
• Andrea Wells (NGSX) took mirror experiments in a different direction, using these investigations to open dialogue about professional learning approaches.
• Lisa Goddard (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia/Reggio Children Foundation) challenged everyone with “Material Explorations with the More-than-Human World,” where participants used string and leaves alongside digital drawing tablets, creating art that put technology and nature in genuine conversation.
• Meanwhile, Carlene Sherbourne (Teaching as Partners), working alongside Suchira Channoi, took us deep into the Reggio philosophy as participants dove into children’s literature, identified meaningful problems, and used loose parts to test creative solutions.
• Marlo Tersigni (SolBe Learning) got everyone to get their hands dirty experiencing the complete journey of a seed, from touching them at different growth stages to tasting varieties to taking home mini sprouting kits.
• The cutting-edge research continued as Maya Bialik opened new possibilities exploring AI in education, while Nicole Kingdon (BU Wheelock’s Center on the Ecology of Early Development) created intimate moments through mindful eating experiences.
• BU Wheelock’s Anna Ward (sport, exercise, and performance psychology) used basketball shooting activities to show how growth mindset and positive self-talk transform classroom environments.
• Technology took flight through the educational drones that Allison Stack (STEMfinity) and Scott Buell (Drone Legends) brought with their “STEMulate your Mind!” station.
• Jennifer Bryson (BU Wheelock’s Elementary Education program) demonstrated powerful connections between writing across genres and science exploration.
• At the same time, Rishi Srinivasan and the STEM For All Academy team revolutionized access with “The Marvelous Mind: Exploring Neurology & Beyond!” featuring actual medical devices and mind-bending video illusions.

The unsung heroes of the day

Our amazing BU Wheelock student volunteers—Emelia Frost, Yinran Zhu, Anastasia Evans, and Baylee Wheelock—were the backbone of the event, ensuring everything ran seamlessly while bringing infectious enthusiasm to every interaction.

One of the most exciting aspects was having J Kimball return as our videographer, expertly capturing the essence of what makes this gathering so special. While challenging to distill the full energy into a single video, J’s work offers a beautiful window into the wonder, curiosity, and learning that defines our community.

Looking forward with gratitude

This 10th anniversary represented a decade of championing hands-on, curiosity-driven education. In a world where education can feel bogged down by testing and standardization, events like this remind us why we became educators in the first place. Every station reinforced the same beautiful truth: When we honor children’s natural curiosity and let wonder lead the way, incredible learning happens.

As the day wound down, one thing was crystal clear: This community of curious educators isn’t slowing down anytime soon. It is my absolute honor to coordinate and host this conference each year, bringing together this incredible community who believe in the power of curiosity-driven learning.

After a decade of bringing together educators who believe in the power of curiosity, one thing is certain—we’re just getting started. Here’s to the next ten years of wonder, discovery, and transforming education one curious mind at a time.

Get involved!

Ready to join this incredible community? Stay tuned for details about next year’s conference—the best is yet to come. If you would like to receive an email when tickets go on sale, add your info here! Interested in hosting a table for the 2026 Curiosity and Learning Conference in the spring? Fill out this brief form to share your info and idea(s)!

TJ McKenna is a clinical assistant professor of science education and director of the Center for STEM Professional Learning at Scale.