Wow! What a great conference. We had wonderful exhibits, great sessions and an award-winning group of presentations and lectures from NASA. At the inaugural Professional Development Institute, 1400 teachers met with over 100 vendors and attended more than 200 sessions. The success of this conference makes me so excited about the future of the Professional Development Institute. The future of the Professional Development Institute is secure because of the fine people who make this possible.

It takes many people to put something like this together. I want to take few moments to thank the people who made this years conference possible. First thanks go to the Executive and District boards of NCSTA. These people really stepped up to the challenge of this years’ program. Thanks also go to Katie Pruzan for all of her help arranging the contacts and exhibits from NASA These presentations were especially significant in light of the 100-year anniversary of powered flight. Special thanks go to Carolyn Elliott and Jayson Duncan for their leadership and guidance in this new endeavor. I am certain that this same leadership and experience will guide us to even better institutes in the future.

Next year is another big year for the Professional Development Institute. The highlight of next year’s PDI will be state textbook selection. This means more vendors will be present to demonstrate all the benefits of their programs. This increase in vendors creates a pleasant problem in providing the space required by the exhibitors. An increase in exhibitors means an increase in resources to our membership. We are so happy to provide this opportunity to our membership.

That is really what NCSTA is all about. Your NCSTA is focused on providing the science teachers of North Carolina with the contacts, resources and training to be better teachers. Some of the hot topics are:

Curriculum Changes
Assessment
New testing requirements for NCLB
Reading in the science curriculum

Changes to teaching, assessment and curriculum make the teachers’ job more challenging. The NCSTA has commitment to support and guide its’ members through these changes. We cannot allow difficult economic times to jeopardize the quality of service to our members. This organization will continue to leverage its resources and membership to support science education in North Carolina.

In closing I would like to thank you, the members of NCSTA, for allowing me to serve the organization as President in 2003. It has been an honor and privilege to represent science teachers in North Carolina. Even though my term has come to an end, I will continue working to place science in the forefront of education.

Ann Scarborough
NCSTA President 2003