Fresh year, fresh semester, and a time of thinking about what comes next: the perfect time to consider a summer adventure. I consider the free summer programs available to science teachers to be one of the greatest perks of our profession—you can often find a program that lets you do something science-y that few other people get a chance to do. I’ll be posting some promising-looking ones over the next few months, but most of these are offered yearly, so check out last year’s round-up to get your search started right away. Also, if you know of an opportunity I should feature, write me about it!

To start off, middle school teachers might consider the National Stem Cell Foundation’s week-long institute at Western Kentucky University, June 3-9. You’ll focus on STEM education in a small group of 10 and have yearlong mentoring. Each teacher will receive a Chromebook and money for a special classroom project. The program covers all expenses, including travel.