On November 14th 2025, six educators from Medford, Somerville, Everett, and Woburn Public School Districts met at the CEEO to help plan the Eye on STEM: Focus on Engineering for All in K-8 Conference that will take place in March 2026. The conference, which will be held in collaboration with the Acera School, is made possible by support from private donors who are committed to expanding access to engineering education. Including educators at this phase of planning, ensures that the conference will bridge research and practice in productive ways for in-service educators.

Attending educators are CEEO’s Teacher Innovation Fellows. They were invited to participate because they are all innovators in their school districts and share a commitment to including engineering in their curriculum. Each teacher brought a unique perspective based on experiences in their school districts. Some teachers lead general education classrooms, but teachers from special education and English Language Learners classrooms also attended. The group, which included a representative from the Acera Education Innovation, Merredith Portsmore, and Elissa Milto, spent the day planning the conference. 

The group discussed all aspects of the conference. By the end of the day, they had a plan that included format, content of workshops, topics for speakers, marketing strategies, and possible dates that would work for area teachers. The teachers even planned sessions that they would be interested in leading. Thanks to the teachers’ varied expertise and enthusiasm, the conference will support teachers in K-8 education to engineering in progressive and engaging ways. 

More information about the conference and registration links will be shared in the coming month.