STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING & LEARNING
IN THE K-12 CLASSROOM
As we move near the third decade of the 21 st century, changes in how and what children learn are being shaped by rapidly evolving technology that is impacting every aspect of our lives. How we educate and prepare our students to succeed is also changing. And that’s where STEAM education can play a central and pivotal role by elevating the intersection of the sciences and the arts in the K-12 classroom through creative and innovative curriculum.
Want to learn more about STEAM-driven curriculum? Join us on October 23 for the Innovation Collaborative’s Virtual Summit: STEAM education in the K12 Classroom. The event will feature distinguished keynote speakers, conversations with veteran STEAM educators, and deep-dive breakout sessions where attendees can dialogue with peers and experts on their professional development needs and experiences with STEAM in the classroom. Registration opens on September 23. See you there!
KEYNOTE BIOGRAPHIES
Alicia Conerly,
Retiring President of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)
Alicia Conerly, Ed.D., is the retiring president of the National Science Teaching
Association (NSTA). She began serving her one-year term on June 1, 2025. She recently served as principal of Monticello Elementary School in Monticello, Mississippi. She joined the school’s staff in 2018 as assistant principal and is the school’s first African American administrator. She also serves as Federal Programs Director, Foster Care POC, EL Coordinator, and Title IX Coordinator for Mississippi’s Marion County School District.
Conerly taught elementary, middle school, and high school from 2008 to 2016. When she decided to pursue a leadership role, she made the transition by serving as a science curriculum specialist and instructional coach from 2016 to 2018 for the Hazlehurst City School District in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. To learn more about Alicia visit https://t.ly/xeYcC
LUCINDA PRESLEY is the Innovation Collaborative's founder, Chair, and Executive Director. Ms. Presley is also Executive Director of ICEE (Institute where Creativity Empowers Education) Success, which integrates the arts, humanities, and innovation thinking skills to promote engagement, learning, and 21st century problem-solving skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She works with partners in Texas, nationally, and internationally to develop school programming, write curriculum, train educators, and develop museums. With over 25 years' experience at the arts/science intersections, she has led STEAM education initiatives and teacher/artist training for a science museum, an art museum, and a national arts provider. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and has been an adjunct instructor of art at a community college for over 18 years.
Lucinda Presley
Innovation Collaborative
Executive Director
CONVERSATIONALIST BIOGRAPHIES
AMANDA DANIELS is an Innovation Collaborative Fellow with more than 20 years of experience in education and a master’s degree in early childhood development. She is the Gifted & Talented Coordinator for the Melissa (TX) Independent School District (ISD) and works to expand professional development opportunities for local teachers and administrators and integrate research-based STEAM education into the district. Daniels’ recent work in Melissa’s ISD STEAM programs includes the Mars STEAM project, a six-week program for 4th and 5th grade Gifted & Talented (GT) students that challenged students to design a device to filter water on Mars, incorporating creativity and critical thinking into problem-solving.
Amanda Daniels,
Melissa ISD, Dallas, Texas
CHARLES HAYES is an Innovation Collaborative Fellow and former award-winning elementary science teacher from Memphis, Tennessee. He has served as a member and chairperson of the NSTA Urban Science Education Advisory Board and is a founding member of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools STEM Teacher Leader Fellows Program. Hayes has presented professional development for Memphis-Shelby County Schools and the Tennessee Department of Education and helped lead the transition to the 2018-2019 Tennessee Academic Standards for Science. For the past three years, he has worked as a middle school science advisor, assisting with professional development and curriculum implementation in the district while supporting the rollout of the 2025–26 Tennessee science standards.
Charles Hayes,
Memphis-Shelby County Schools,
Tennessee
ASHLEY LUPFER is an Innovation Collaborative Fellow with over a decade of K–12 teaching experience across rural, urban, and suburban settings. She is dedicated to designing interdisciplinary learning experiences that connect the classroom to the broader community. Currently, Lupfer teaches Visual Art, Innovation, and Design at Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School in New York’s Hudson Valley. A passionate advocate for STEAM education, she has presented at state conferences, contributed to art education publications, and worked with undergraduate students in a variety of roles. Lupfer is currently pursuing National Board Certification and looks forward to sharing her insights at the upcoming Innovation Collaborative Summit.
Ashley Lupfer,
Pierre Van Courtlandt Middle School, Croton-on-Hudson, New York