ISTA News and Events - 2010

ISTA Announces Saturday, Nov. 6 Tours for Annual Meeting

The conference planning committee headed by Harold Wilkinson and Gary Butler have developed an excellent and varied Saturday program enabling science teachers to visit very interesting science based facilities in Central Illinois. The various tour hosts are providing special technical updates and demonstrations for science teachers and the tour costs are being kept to a minimum. Even if science teachers are unable to get a professional day off on Friday for the conference, they may be able to come Thursday evening for the 5-8 pm exhibits and reception, as well as for the Saturday tours starting at 9 am. Tour enrollment procedures are detailed in the conference registration materials found in the CONFERENCE section of this website. When registering for the conference, you will be asked for your tour preferences.

Tours include transportation to and presentations at:

A. Combined landfill, electric generator, & greenhouse facility near Taylorville.
B. National Surveyors' Museum with Science on a Sphere AND the Lincoln Presidential Library, downtown Springfield.
C. Clinical Lab Science--Solving Medical Mysteries, lab professions & ed requirements-- UI-Springfield
D. SIU-Med School, ISP Forensics Lab, IDPH Public Health Lab, and IEPA Lab--Springfield Medical District.
E. Teaching of Elementary Physics--IS-AAPT and Lincoln Land Community College.
F. Starhill Arboretum--Tree research & education, Guy and Edie Sternberg & Illinois College, rural Petersburg.
G. Wind Energy Tour—Horizon Energy and ISU. Tour bus trip to Rail Splitter Wind Farm north of Lincoln.

Click here for Conference registration materials with more detailed tour descriptions and charges.

ISTA Selects Upcoming Conference Venues

Following discussion at the March ISTA board meeting, receipt of detailed proposals from several facilities, careful analysis of costs and facilities, and site visits, the ISTA Executive Committee selected the Tinley Park Convention Center and Holiday Inn Select for the October 27-29, 2011 ISTA annual conference. Construction is now underway on a major expansion of this facility providing adequate space for ISTA. It is adjacent to I-80, very easy to find and accessible from all directions, and has FREE PARKING.

Subject to evaluation and successful 2010 and 2011conferences, the 2012 conference will probably be held again at the Springfield Crowne Plaza and the 2013 conference at the Tinley Park Convention Center. ISTA will not have a fall conference in 2014 since the NSTA conference is coming to Chicago in March 2015.

The pattern developed by the ISTA board of alternating locations from a NE IL to a Central IL location, as well as alternating dates within the late October to early November time frame will hopefully provide options and avoid parent visitation days. If teachers are unable to attend due to scheduling or geographic limitations one year, they should be able to participate the following year.