Mission, Vision and Values

Mission: Encouraging excellence in science education through leadership and service

Vision: To be the leading voice in the advancement of science education in Ontario

Values:

Inclusion

STAO is committed to the inclusion and support of all educators who teach science and technology in Ontario. Our members, like the students they serve, are multilingual and represent diverse racial, ethnic, gender, religious, ability, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

This commitment extends to assessing, monitoring and recruiting diverse membership and advocating for more diverse representation in the teaching profession as a whole. 

What do we DO that embodies this value?

• Resources developed through the lens of inclusivity
• Help educators understand and practice culturally responsive practices
• Advocate for inclusive practices in our organization, in classrooms, school boards, and in government
• Provide a voice for underrepresented groups in the science community
• Partnerships/ consultations with other organization
• Projects focused on specific content/ perspectives (indigenous, elementary, northern boards, etc.)
• Review of curriculum through equity and inclusivity lens
• Attention to inclusive design and accommodations (ELL, special education) in resources
• Representation from diverse cultures, ethnicities, abilities across STAO committees
• Advocate for greater diversity in pre-service educator programs
• Actively engage with the Francophone science education community

Excellence

STAO’s goal is to ensure that every student across Ontario has access to high quality science and technology education that is based on diverse, international research, best practices and progressive education ideals. We will do this by providing educators with access to best-in-class resources that allow them to be innovative in their practice in a manner that is inclusive of, and responsive to, the needs of all students.

What do we DO that embodies this value?

• Develop resources that reflect current trends in science and technology education, research based practices
• Provide professional learning to help educators develop their skills in delivery of science education (e.g., culturally relevant pedagogy, use of tech tools)
• Provide opportunities for professional growth through volunteer opportunities, leadership opportunities
• Seek out new and innovative partnerships/opportunities in which we can engage our members

Collaboration (community development)

STAO members work together and with our communities towards the common goal of high quality science and technology education for all students. This means providing opportunities to learn with and from each other, and other organizations who embody STAO’s values and commitment to excellence in science and technology education.

What do we DO that embodies this value?

• Opportunities to join committees & develop leadership skills
• Have an annual conference which facilitates networking
• Work with other organizations to promote inclusivity in science and create excellent resources and learning opportunities for our members
• Creating a community hub for educators to connect with other like-minded educators to learn, share, and inspire each other

Accountability

STAO will ensure that all Ontario students have access to excellent science and technology education through advocacy, accountability and by providing resources and learning opportunities to science educators. This means speaking up on important education issues and continually being accountable to students, educators, and our members in the work that we do.

What do we DO that embodies this value?

• Advocacy for skills and knowledge students need for success in the future
• Delivery of quality science and technology professional learning for teachers to ensure that students are getting what they need
• Support for hands on/ experiential learning by providing resources for safety in classrooms
• Advocacy at the government level to ensure that students are getting what they need through curriculum and other programs

Innovation

We encourage our members to continually develop a growth mindset by taking advantage of learning opportunities in order to innovate in their classrooms.  By evolving teaching practices, being responsive to student needs, and improving the educational experience, the needs of all students in science classrooms will be better met. This means challenging the status quo and promoting the inclusion of a plurality of perspectives in the discourse in science education.

What do we DO that embodies this value?

• Development and sharing of resources based on teaching resources that are rooted on impartial evidence based research
• Leadership through innovation disrupts the status quo that only works for some
• Being thought leaders by creating, curating or promoting science content and curriculum from diverse cultural perspectives and an anti-oppressive lens