Science Offerings
Educators who participate in our science offerings will have opportunities to:
- Explore the progression of the newly adopted Pennsylvania Integrated STEELS Standards through their grade band.
- Develop a shared understanding of phenomenon-based and problem-driven science instruction that effectively incorporates all three dimensions of the standards, including disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts.
- Engage pedagogical practices that foster reasoning and sense-making in the science classroom and support equity and access for all students.
- Gain access to readily available instructional tools and resources for science and engineering instruction at their respective grade bands as they become familiar with what science instruction looks and feels like when implementing Pennsylvania's updated standards.
Featured Offering
OpenSciEd User Group | 2026-27
Is your district piloting or adopting OpenSciEd science instructional materials? This user group can provide a way to learn more & connect.
The Math & Science Collaborative (AIU MSC) is hosting a K-12 OpenSciEd (OSE) User Group during the 2026-2027 school year. This professional learning provides both new and experienced implementers of OpenSciEd at any grade level the opportunity to learn more about skillfully teaching with this high-quality set of science instructional materials. While OSE embodies our PA STEELS standards as well as the shifts called for by A Framework for K–12 Science Education (NRC, 2012), these changes in classroom practice can be a heavy lift! That is where the OSE User Group can help. We will delve into common questions and concerns raised by our local OSE-implementing school districts, and we will provide opportunities to connect with other OSE-implementors throughout the region.
Come and join our group for a professional learning experience full of learning, collaborating, and connecting that will benefit you, your colleagues, and your students!
Who: Any educators piloting (planning to pilot), implementing, or supporting implementation of OpenSciEd Instructional Materials at any grade level(s).
When: September 15, 2026; November 16, 2026; January 7, 2027; March 11, 2027
Where: Allegheny Intermediate Unit (475 E. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120)
Course Offerings: PA STEELS K-12 Science Standards
To better prepare the science educators in your school district for implementing the shifts in science instruction entailed in the PA STEELS standards, the AIU's Math & Science Collaborative has constructed possible paths for your district to follow as you shift from “learning about” to “figuring out” as the normative culture in K-12 science classrooms.
The steps below provide an overview of the phases your district should follow for a successful implementation of the K-12 science standards within the PA STEELS standards.
Each tab links to relevant science engagement opportunities for professional learning geared toward that phase. This information is also available as a PDF flowchart. Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski with any questions.
Click the tabs below to navigate course offerings for each phase of implementation:
Phase 1: Make the case
During this first phase of moving towards implementing the PA STEELS K-12 science standards, science educators will become familiar with and experience the shifts entailed in moving from “learning about” to “figuring out” in science classrooms.
2026-27 School Year
Click tabs below to explore Phase 1 science offerings by category.
Immersion Experiences
Digging into Phenomenon-Based, Three-Dimensional Science Teaching
Who: Any and all science educators, including K-12 science teachers or science-supporting teachers and administrators (e.g., academic coaches, STEM Coordinators, Curriculum Coordinators, Directors of Innovation & Curriculum, etc.)
When: October 12, 2026 | 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Where:
West Jefferson Hills School District
Thomas Jefferson High School
830 Old Clairton Road, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025
Price: Free to all AIU3 educators
What: Experience the Power of the new PA STEELS Standards. This science professional learning offering is a one-day deep dive into and reflection on science teaching and learning that is aligned to the science standards in the recently-released PA Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) Standards. Participants will immerse themselves in an Everest Experience, and as a consequence, walk away with increased understanding of what science instruction looks and feels like when it is three-dimensional, phenomenon-based, and equitable.
Food: A light lunch will be provided courtesy of West Jefferson Hills School District. Thank you, West Jeff!
Tech: Please bring a laptop and/or tablet to access online resources.
Science Institutes
Attend a free institute for science educators. This four-day science learning experiences align to various grade-levels and science domains. Attendees will develop a shared understanding of phenomenon-based and problem-driven science instruction that effectively incorporates all three dimensions of the standards (disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts). Participants will engage in pedagogical practices that foster reasoning and sense-making in the science classroom and support equity and access for all students. Designed with science teachers in mind, science-supportive administrators are strongly encouraged to attend with staff. Special educators who push-in and/or co-teach with science educators are also strongly encouraged to register for these opportunities.
*Note that science institutes offered during previous school years (2022-23; 2023-24; 2024-25; 2025-26) will overlap to some degree with the experiences offered in this new K-12 Science Institute. If you attended any of the previous school years, and you are concerned that this offering might be repetitive, feel free to reach out to Corinne (corinne.murawski@aiu3.net ) or Kristen (kristen.rice@aiu3.net ). We can consult with you about whether this revised institute will be useful in your professional position!
K-12 Sciences Institute
Content foci are primarily life science and physical science, with some Earth & space science and engineering.
Administrators are strongly encouraged to attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building
Attendees will develop a shared understanding of phenomenon-based and problem-driven science teaching and learning that effectively incorporates all three dimensions of the science standards (disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, & crosscutting concepts) and provides equitable, inclusive instruction.
Participants will engage, as learners and as teachers, with the pedagogical practices that foster reasoning and sense-making in the science classroom and support equity and access for all students. They will also gain access to tools and resources for the teaching and learning of science at their grade band as they become familiar with what instruction in science looks and feels like when implementing the science standards from PA STEELS.
Over the course of the four days, participants will explore the science standards from the PA Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS) standards within the elementary, middle school, and high school grade bands.
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete all related assignments.
If you attended a three-day Introductory Institute during a previous school year, this institute may be somewhat repetitive for you. However, we have revised the immersive experiences and included some content from our previously offered Course 2. Thus, you may still find benefit in this offering. Alternatively, consider enrolling in our Assessment and Grading in K-12 Science professional learning offering.
Price: $600 to all AIU3 educators; Educators outside AIU3: $800
Audience: Open to all grades K-12 science teachers (e.g., life science, physical science, Earth & space science, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.)
Where: Allegheny Intermediate Unit; 475 E. Waterfront Dr. Homestead, PA 15120
2026-2027 Meeting Dates: November 13, December 9, 2026, January 12, February 11, 2027
Administrator-Focused Science Professional Learning
This two-day administrator-focused professional learning offering was specifically created to help leaders support shifts in science instruction towards phenomenon-based, 3-D science teaching.
This offering is steeped in both science learning and leadership for science instruction. The experience is based on the Next Generation Science Exemplar System’s Principal’s Learn and Network to Support 3-D Science Learning (PLANS) Pathway. Although this offering is designed specifically for administrators, it is open to any science leaders, including department heads, grade-band science leads and science coaches. The final half-day of this two-day session will focus specifically on "look fors" and tools for walk-throughs and observations in K-12 science classrooms. These tools specifically connect with shifts in science instruction.
Price: $350
Audience: Any and all administrators (district or building) or science leaders (e.g., department head, coach, grade-level lead) are invited to attend
Tech: Please bring a laptop and/or tablet to access online resources.
Where: Allegheny Intermediate Unit; 475 E. Waterfront Dr. Homestead, PA 15120
2026-27 Meeting Dates: September 30 - October 1, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Shared Waters Curriculum Training | Grades 3-5 educators
Spend a day engaged in a 10 lesson curriculum designed for the PA STEELS standards, specifically the Environmental Lit. and Sustainability.
Shared Waters began as a NOAA B-WET grant as an upstream-downstream partnership with the goal of systemically implementing Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) in elementary schools. These experiences aim to teach students about local watershed issues and how their actions impact the overall health of the watershed.
The project culminated in a comprehensive curriculum that was classroom-tested with nearly 1,000 elementary students. Shared Waters is spreading as it is enthusiastically embraced by teachers and administrators as a supported, class-ready curriculum that is engaging and impactful.
Shared Waters offers a comprehensive curriculum specifically designed for elementary students in grades 3-5, aligned with NGSS and multiple state standards, with an emphasis on environmental literacy and sustainability. This curriculum includes 10 lessons, culminating in an action project, and covers topics such as understanding the water cycle and the concept of watersheds, conducting chemical analyses of natural water bodies, identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality, exploring the effects of human activities on watersheds, and developing and implementing action plans to address environmental issues. We plan to expand our offerings with middle and high school curricula in the near future to further support environmental education across all grade levels.
The program's goals are to enhance understanding of watershed science and the impact of human activities on water quality, foster a sense of responsibility and connection to local watersheds through community-based projects, and encourage students to develop and implement action plans to improve watershed health.
Participants will leave with a kit of materials designed to help them implement this curriculum. Due to the cost of the materials, kit distribution will be limited to one kit per school.
Price: Free to AIU teachers and PA IU staff/educators; $150 for non-AIU teachers
Audience: Any and all K-12 educators or science leaders (e.g., department head, coach, grade-level lead) are invited to attend
Tech: Please bring a laptop and/or tablet to access online resources.
Where: Allegheny Intermediate Unit; 475 E. Waterfront Dr. Homestead, PA 15120
Meeting Date: October 9, 2026 from 8:30-3:30
Phase 2: Create a plan
During this second phase, science leaders embark on the planning process for the strategic implementation of phenomenon-based, three-dimensional science instruction in their school or district that is aligned with the K-12 science standards in the PA STEELS standards.
2026-27 School Year
Click tabs below to explore Phase 2 science offerings by category.
Please note that some following offerings have important prerequisites for participation.
K-12 SCIENCE LEADERSHIP GROUP:
Join other science leaders from Allegheny County school districts to collaboratively learn and grow around science instructional leadership. Open to any science leader who has participated in at least one of the opportunities in Phase 1: Make the Case. The AIU's Math & Science Collaborative encourages school districts to have at least one representative participate in this group.
REGISTRATION BY INVITATION
The AIU Science Leadership Group will continue to extend the collaborative work we’ve begun as learners, leaders, and colleagues!
Price: Still free in 2026-2027 to invited educators from across AIU
Audience: Science leaders/educators who participated in previously offered science institutes and serve as explicit or implicit school or district science leaders.
2026-27 Meeting Dates: (Dates and times subject to change based on corporate and school visits) Sept. 25, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Nov. 19, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Jan. 20, 2027 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.; March 9, 2027 from 8:30 – 3 p.m.
Phase 3: Implement the plan
2026-27 School Year
Click tabs below to explore Phase 3 science offerings by category.
Assessment and Grading (for PA STEELS) in K-12 Science
Join us for this in-person science and environmental literacy & sustainability professional learning offering from the Math & Science Collaborative at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit! The Assessment in K-12 Science Aligned with PA STEELS Standards is designed for educators who have already attended one of our Science Institutes (e.g., Elementary Science, K-2 STEM Institute, Grades 3-5 Science Institute, Secondary Science, Physical Science Institute, Life Science Institute, K-12 Science Institute). This professional learning opportunity is perfect for all K-12 science educators who are ready to dig deeply into the classroom-based assessment practices that are aligned to science and EL&S teaching and learning with the PA STEELS standards. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more about teaching science for the next generation!
Administrators are encouraged to attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building.
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete all related assignments.
Who: Who: Any K-12 science educators who previously attended one of the Science Institutes from AIU MSC (e.g., Elementary Science, K-2 STEM Institute, Grades 3-5 Science Institute, Secondary Science, Physical Science Institute, Life Science Institute, K-12 Science Institute)
When: November 2, 2026, January 28, and February 23, 2027
Where: In-person at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit
Price: $450 all AIU3 educators; $600 for educators outside AIU3
Guided Review of Potential High Quality Instructional Materials
Designed for teams of four to six individuals who have already completed at least one Phase 1: Make the Case engagement opportunity and preferably have participated as a team in the Phase 2 offering of Planning for Professional Learning around Science Standards: Strategically Building Capacity for Sustained Practice. You and your team will work directly with the science coordinators from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit Math & Science Collaborative (AIU MSC) to learn how to vet and subsequently perform the vetting of potential High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) for science.
Learning to vet science instructional materials with NextGen Toolkit for Instructional Materials Evaluation (TIME)
Learn how to effectively evaluate and select science instructional materials claiming to be STEELS or NGSS-aligned using NextGen Tools for Instructional Materials Evaluation (TIME).
Who: Science Leadership Teams from school districts in and around Allegheny Intermediate Unit (Southwest Pennsylvania). It is highly recommended that each team member has engaged in an introductory science institute or other PL experience related to phenomenon-based, three-dimensional science teaching (e.g., Administrator-focused science PL, Digging into Phenomenon-based, 3-D Science, Science Leadership Group). It is recommended but not required that you and your team have previously engaged in the "Planning Strategically for Science Professional Learning" offering. (If this is not the case, please reach out to corinne.murawski@aiu3.net or kristen.rice@aiu3.net to discuss other appropriate preparatory professional learning for you and your team.)
Where: YOUR DISTRICT OR Allegheny Intermediate Unit; 475 E. Waterfront Dr.; Homestead, PA 15120
Price: Negotiable Dependent upon (1) state funding for 2026-27 SY and (2) your district’s “high needs” status.
What: During this professional learning offering, which is usually scheduled for two days (but is customizable), you and your district science leadership team will learn how to use three of the five tools in the NextGen Toolkit for Instructional Materials Evaluation (TIME) suite. More specifically, we will engage with the Prepare, Prescreen, and Paperscreen tools using an exemplar unit.
Expect that by the conclusion of the professional learning offering, you and your district colleagues will be equipped to use the NextGen TIME pre- and paperscreening tools to review and vet science instructional materials for their quality and alignment with PA STEELS to better decide which materials you will move forward into a pilot phase. If you’d like the science coordinator to continue assisting your team in the vetting process, additional time can be scheduled for such support.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to improve science instruction in your district by implementing a set of high-quality instructional materials with added support for the educators who will be teaching!
2026-2027 Dates: Please reach out to Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice to schedule.
Strategic Communication of Vision
Inform the community of your district’s undertaking during a parent, caregiver, and/or community information session. Work with AIU MSC science coordinators to design and implement strategies for best communicating the district’s vision for shifting towards more “figuring out” in K-12 science classrooms.
Caregiver Communication about Science
If your district is ready to design and implement a session to inform parents and caregivers about the shifts in science instruction in your districts, team with the AIU MSC Science Coordinators to get assistance in doing just that! Reach out to Kristen and Corinne at kristen.rice@aiu3.net and corinne.murawski@aiu3.net to get started!
OpenSciEd Elementary Launch and Facilitator Training
Join us for an innovative yet grounding professional learning experience as you prepare to implement OpenSciEd’s science curricular materials in your elementary school. During the OpenSciEd Elementary (K-5) Academy, teachers experience two days of initial learning in a collaborative professional environment with colleagues from schools that are also beginning their implementation journey. However, the OpenSciEd Elementary Academy doesn’t stop at a workshop. The initial experience is followed by yearlong support with multiple touchpoints spread during the school year. There are four one-hour check-ins and one additional full day of Professional Learning mid-school year.
During the OpenSciEd Academy, you will experience “practice-based training” as you learn in a phenomenon-based, three-dimensional manner with facilitators who skillfully scaffold teacher learning as a consequence of their own first-hand knowledge of the materials and the design process. You will also examine classroom video and interviews of teachers who are already putting these instructional materials to use with their own students.
Throughout the Academy, you will also have access to a plethora of on demand resources aimed at supporting your successful implementation of the OpenSciEd materials for the benefit of your students. The result is an effective, learner-centric experience that will give you confidence to implement OpenSciEd’s K-5 program with your students. Come join us for this professional learning!
Who should consider this offering? Elementary School Science Educators or Administrators who support Elementary School Science and are piloting or adopting the OpenSciEd Instructional Materials; Intermediate Unit Colleagues who support implementation of high-quality science instructional materials and provide the professional learning to buttress such implementation; Professional Learning Providers who will support OSE Elementary.
Where: Allegheny Intermediate Unit; 475 E. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120
Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice directly regarding OpenSciEd Middle School Academy opportunities. Depending upon funding, there may be a fee for this service.
Note: If you teach in a high-needs school district in Southwestern PA, please reach out to Corinne Murawski (corinne.murawski@aiu3.net) or Michael Fierle (michael.fierle@aiu3.net) for more information regarding tuition defrayment.
Other: Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice directly regarding other elementary science opportunities. Depending upon funding, there may be a fee for this service.
OpenSciEd Middle School Academy
Join us for an innovative yet grounding professional learning experience as you prepare to implement OpenSciEd’s science curricular materials in your middle school. During the OpenSciEd Middle School (6-8) Academy, teachers experience two days of initial learning in a collaborative professional environment with colleagues from schools that are also beginning their implementation journey. However, the OpenSciEd Middle School Academy doesn’t stop at a workshop. The initial experience is followed by yearlong support with multiple touchpoints spread during the school year. There are four one-hour check-ins and one additional full day of Professional Learning mid-school year.
During the OpenSciEd Academy, you will experience “practice-based training” as you learn in a phenomenon-based, three-dimensional manner with facilitators who skillfully scaffold teacher learning as a consequence of their own first-hand knowledge of the materials and the design process. You will also examine classroom video and interviews of teachers who are already putting these instructional materials to use with their own students.
Throughout the Academy, you will also have access to a plethora of on demand resources aimed at supporting your successful implementation of the OpenSciEd grades 6-8 materials for the benefit of your students. The result is an effective, learner-centric experience that will give you confidence to implement OpenSciEd’s middle school program with your students. Come join us for this professional learning!
Who: Middle School Science Educators or educators/administrator who support Middle School Science and are piloting or adopting the OpenSciEd Instructional Materials
Where: Allegheny Intermediate Unit (475 E. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120) or in your district
Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice directly regarding OpenSciEd Middle School Academy opportunities. Depending upon funding, there may be a fee for this service.
Note: If you teach in a high-needs school district in Southwestern PA, please reach out to Corinne Murawski (corinne.murawski@aiu3.net) or Michael Fierle (michael.fierle@aiu3.net) for more information regarding tuition defrayment provided by Arconic Foundation.
Other: Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice directly regarding other middle school science opportunities. Depending upon funding, there may be a fee for this service.
OpenSciEd High School Curriculum Launch
Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice directly regarding these opportunities. Depending upon funding, there may be a fee for this service.
Phase 4: Sustain the implementation
2026-27 School Year
Get support from the Math & Science Collaborative to continue your district's implementation of the STEELS science standards via your district's science curricular materials.
OpenSciEd User Group
The Math & Science Collaborative (AIU MSC) is hosting a K-12 OpenSciEd (OSE) User Group during the 2026-2027 school year. This professional learning provides both new and experienced implementers of OpenSciEd at any grade level the opportunity to learn more about skillfully teaching with this high-quality set of science instructional materials. While OSE embodies our PA STEELS standards as well as the shifts called for by A Framework for K–12 Science Education(NRC, 2012), these changes in classroom practice can be a heavy lift! That is where the OSE User Group can help. We will delve into common questions and concerns raised by our local OSE-implementing school districts, and we will provide opportunities to connect with other OSE-implementors throughout the region.
Come and join our group for a professional learning experience full of learning, collaborating, and connecting that will benefit you, your colleagues, and your students!
WHO: Any educators piloting (planning to pilot), implementing, or supporting implementation of OpenSciEd Instructional Materials at any grade level(s)
WHEN:
- September 15, 2026
- November 16, 2026
- January 7, 2027
- March 11, 2027
WHERE:
Allegheny Intermediate Unit (475 E. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120)
To determine if this offering is for you, or if you just want a bit more information, reach out to Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice.
Other
Please reach out to Corinne or Kristen to discuss and schedule tailored offerings for your district team. Offerings include but are not limited to:
- Beyond the Launch: Professional Learning to support Implementation of High-Quality Instructional Materials;
- Science Coaching; and
- Curriculum Alignment Facilitation
Please contact Dr. Corinne Murawski or Kristen Rice directly regarding these opportunities. Depending upon funding, there may be a fee for this service.