Membership

By joining the Illinois Science Teachers Association you will receive many professional growth opportunities and you will be able to make valuable contributions to the science teaching profession.

This is exactly the time to be active in your profession.

• ISTA members and other professionals need to play a role in how the newly adopted standards for teachers of science will be used to improve the initial and continuing education of teachers.

• New recertification requirements have been passed into state law requiring teachers to make professional development central to their vocation. What counts as professional development, how to judge whether a professional development offering is valuable, and where to find good sources for professional development are all issues that our members will have to deal with.

• There are major issues that can impact teaching in the classroom: ISAT, the new state testing system; implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards so that they are an integral part of how science is taught; and measurable improvement of student learning.

To join ISTA, print the Membership form (PDF) and mail you application with payment as indicated.

NOTE: This document requires Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be downloaded for free.

Membership Questions

ISTA Membership Benefits and Activities

• Subscription to the SPECTRUM

  Spectrum is the ISTA journal published in April, August, and December. The Spectrum provides ISTA members with association news and updates from ISTA officers, a column on state initiatives, articles, teaching techniques, exciting classroom ideas and information regarding upcoming meetings, conferences and educational opportunities, as well as listings of free or inexpensive educational materials.

• ISTA Annual Conference

  For over forty years this annual conference has brought together educators and administrators from throughout the state. Major speakers; over 100 group sessions, hands-on workshops, microcomputer labs; thousands of dollars of prizes; an evening gala in a museum, and more than 70 commercial and non-commercial exhibits are a few highlights of this outstanding program of renewal and professional development.

• Legislative Representation for Science

  ISTA provides a direct line of communication between science educators and state officials. Our organization voices concerns and recommends programs and funding for science education. In addition, ISTA is an active member of the Illinois Education Alliance which impacts directly state mandates concerning the quality of education.

• ISTA Awards

  ISTA and the IL Petroleum Resources Board annually sponsor the outstanding science student medallion award. ISTA members can annually request one free Olympic style medal for an outstanding science student. ISTA and the ExxonMobil Foundation also sponsor Outstanding Science Teacher and Outstanding New Science Teacher awards. (see details and application information in the Advocacy Section of this web page.)

• Web Site and Mailing List

  If you are reading this you are already aware of the ISTA Website. You are invited to make suggestions to increase the impact of the Site. ISTA supports a listserv to increase communication among members. A listserv makes it easier to get and receive messages and then to react to the messages in a way that all other members of the listserv conveniently receive the reply.

Types of Membership

Any person interested in science education is eligible for membership. All memberships include a subscription to the SPECTRUM. 

Note: Memberships run 12 months from the date of initial membership or renewal.

Option 1: One Year Full Membership Dues - $35.00

Full Membership entitles individuals to the following benefits: a one year subscription to the SPECTRUM, notification of regional conferences and meetings; invitations to science issues activities; a reduced registration fee for the Annual ISTA Conference; voting privileges; and the opportunity to hold an ISTA Officer position.

Option 2: Two Year Full Membership Dues - $60.00

Full membership benefits for two years.

Option 3: Five Year Full Membership Dues - $125.00

Full membership benefits for five years.

Option 4: Associate Membership Dues - $15.00

For full-time students and individuals who are on retirement status. Entitles individual to full membership benefits, with the exeption of the opportunity to run for office.

Option 5: Institutional Membership - $75.00

Entitles the member institution, for a period of one year, to two subscriptions to the SPECTRUM; notification of regional conferences and meetings; invitations to science issues activities; and a reduced registration fee for the annual ISTA conference for a maximum of three affiliates of the institution.

 

Option 6: Initial Certificate Option - $20.00

Full membership benefits to beginning teacher in the first to fourth year of teaching.

Thanks to collaborative agreements with affiliated organizations, ISTA offers six additional memberships for convenience, shared benefits, and savings:

• Fermilab Friends of Science Education  http://ed.fnal.gov/ffse 

• The IL Section of the Am. Association of Physics Teachers http://isaapt.org/

• The Illinois Association of Chemistry Teachers www.iact-online.org

• The Chicago Council on Science and Technology  www.c2st.org

• The Environmental Education Association of Illinois  www.eeai.net

• The Council for Elementary Science International  www.cesiscience.org

See the Membership Brochure (PDF) for precise details.