CASTL, the Collaboration for Ambitious Science Teaching and Learning, was launched in 2018 as a regional extension of Washingtonโs NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership, PASTL. The initiative focuses on engaging teachers in Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) to assess...
Partner stories
These stories are a collection of educator professional learning experiences and opportunities provided by ESD, CBO and Tribal School partners.

NWESD 189
Northwest ESD is approaching equity in access to climate science learning through the spheres of P-K learning, indigenous ways of knowing science and pedagogical tools that engage all learners.
OpenSciEd High School Summer Institute inspires and motivates teachers
โWe need to stop thinking, โIs this student good enough for my science class?โ and start asking, โIs my science class good enough to engage all students?โโ This was the question posed by Jamie Yoos, a chemistry teacher and OpenSciEd facilitator from Bellingham,...
OpenSciEd Elementary Field Test Launch Summer 2023
The OpenSciEd Elementary Field Test launched this August on the beautiful Washington State University, Vancouver campus. Over seventy elementary teachers from across the state participated in this three-day project launch learning about the high-quality OpenSciEd...
IslandWood Working Group brings local connections to national science units!
On August 7th, science educators from the Puget Sound region gathered for a two-day Localizing Amplify Science Teacher Institute at IslandWoodโs Bainbridge Island campus. The educators were excited to collaborate on curriculum adaptations towards incorporating student...
Phenomena-based Learning Workshop Creates Record Attendance and Completion Rates
PEIโs workshops are typically well attended, but what happened in May was exceptional. Over one hundred people registered for a Phenomena Based Learning: Solutions Oriented Storylines workshop and of those who attended, nearly all completed the course requirements....
Washington State Team Attends OpenSciEd Facilitator Academy to Launch Elementary Field Test
A team of 12 Washington state educatorsโOSPI, Regional Science Coordinators, and teacher leadersโattended the OpenSciEd Elementary Facilitator Academy in Denver, CO, June 19-24 with support from the Climetime project and Williams Foundation. This week-long immersion...
Schoolyard Science Storyline for 3-5 Teachers: What Makes a Weed a Weed?
This Spring, teachers used a simple clump of dandelions to anchor a Next Generation Science Standards-aligned storyline that motivated their students to go outside and engage with outdoor science observations and investigations. They questioned their own conceptions...
Teachers & Students Engineer Community-Based Air Quality Solutions and Co-Design Student-Led Climate Action
This spring, IslandWood launched a new teacher professional development course called Community-Centered Climate Action, geared towards Third through Fifth grade teachers from around the Puget Sound. During the five-part Community-Centered Climate Action Course,...
IslandWood Seasonal Change in the Schoolyard Course for PreK-2 Teachers
PreK-2 Teachers came together in the Fall to explore how plants, animals and people interact with seasonal patterns and consider the impact of climate change. They learned to incorporate schoolyards and communities into their classroom learning and reflected on how...