Teacher Professional Development

We Do STEM TEACHER PD

NOVA SySTEMic is committed to providing STEM professional development opportunities for educators in the Northern Virginia region to support the growing demands of the workforce. We help educators enhance their skills as technologies evolve, offering both formal and informal support on various STEM-related topics.

Explore our Past Professional Development Offerings below for examples of how we support educators in STEM.

Financial Support for STEM Teacher PD kindly provided by:

STEM Teacher PD Sponsors

2024 Programs Offered

This hands-on program for middle and high school educators focused on understanding digital fabrication software and its application to various makerspace equipment. Participants explored foundational skills, including:

  • Vector-based design and illustration using Adobe Illustrator and laser cutters.
  • 3D modeling and scanning with TinkerCAD.
  • 3D printing with PRUSA slicing software.
  • Design thinking for the classroom.

Upcoming Sessions in 2025

The 2025 sessions will focus specifically on TinkerCAD and its applications in:

  • 3D scanning,
  • 3D printing, and
  • Laser cutting.

The National Science Foundation-sponsored grant program aimed to increase awareness among secondary school CTE administrators, teachers, and college/career counselors about the region's Engineering Technology (ET) and Data Center Operations (DCO) careers and the educational pathways available at NOVA. Over a three-year period, 71 participants from the region engaged in the program, which concluded in summer 2024.

Results from the first two years of the program were published in the April 2024 edition of the Journal of Advanced Technological Education. You can download the publication for free.

This National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored program for secondary instructors, informal STEM learning professionals, and college faculty focused on using design thinking to challenge assumptions and approach problem-solving collaboratively, interdisciplinarily, and non-linearly.

Initial results from this program were published in the April 2024 edition of the Journal of Advanced Technological Education. The publication, titled Makers by Design: Helping Teachers Integrate Design Thinking into Instruction Through a Sustained Professional Learning Fellowship, can be downloaded for free.

Training Requests

NOVA SySTEMic offers flexible, on-site professional development for middle and high school educators throughout the school year and summer. Training opportunities are available in:

  • Programming
  • Microelectronics
  • Digital Fabrication
  • Robotics

Sessions can be customized to last from a few hours to a full day, depending on the needs of your division or school. SySTEMic can also provide laptops and materials for all participants.

Please complete our request form or contact us directly with any questions or to schedule your training session.

Questions?

Contact Natasha Schuh-Nuhfer at nschuhnuhfer@nvcc.edu or 703.948.7680.