Science has so much in the way of real-world application. Connecting science education to the world around students brings a focus for a group of five “science leads” within the Nooksack Valley Schools.  

“Through their leadership, science becomes not just about content in a classroom, but about fostering curiosity, belonging and agency that links students, families and our broader community,” says Megan Vigre, NV Schools teaching and learning director. “They highlight the strengths and voices of our students, weaving in local culture, community and place-based experiences.”
 
The teachers serving as science leads are always learning too. This past summer Maddy Libolt, Anna Malpica and Paige Peterson (Abbie Ball and Kayla Larson also serve as science leads) traveled to Washington, D.C., for a national conference as part of their learning thanks to a grant facilitated by Western Washington University, with Malpica presenting to an audience of roughly 700 educators.
 
The focus, though, always centers on a connection with the students. “I hope that as a science lead, I am sharing my excitement and enthusiasm for science with staff, students and families,” says Malpica, a Nooksack Elementary teacher. “It means having fun and learning together.” 
 
Libolt, a fifth-grade teacher at Everson Elementary, enjoys being part of important change in the district and being able to share what she learns about science instruction with other teachers to help facilitate science learning that is “authentic, integrated and engaging.” 
 
Making science meaningful and relevant includes connecting lessons to real-world problems, local places and spaces that surround students and issues that matter to them, says Larson, a third-grade teacher at Sumas Elementary. “I’m also working on integrating hands-on investigations and inquiry-based learning, so students feel like scientists rather than just learning about science in isolation,” she says. “Building these connections helps students see that science is not just a subject alone, but a way of thinking and understanding the world around them.” 
 
That’s the role for all the science leads. Ball, an 18-year veteran teaching first grade at Sumas Elementary, says her role is all about “fostering curiosity,” always striving to connect science with students by making it as hands-on and relatable as possible. “We might grow plants or observe animals, all while encouraging students to ask questions and think critically,” she says. “Our goal is to connect science to real-world examples, showing students how it connects to their daily lives. We help students in the valley see that science isn’t just something in a textbook or on a schedule in the classroom: it’s a way to understand and explore everything they encounter.”
 
Peterson, a fifth-grade teacher at Nooksack Elementary, says that not only is she able to continue learning about a passion of hers while sharing it with other teachers in the district, but serving as a science lead is helping more students think like scientists. “Kids naturally love science because science is all about asking questions and trying to figure things out, and that is what kids do,” she says. “Connecting the science we are learning to each student’s unique experiences and having them lead the learning is a huge part of the way we are learning to teach science.” 
 
Malpica says that means always focusing on the questions the students ask. “I’m working hard to listen to their questions and connect the lessons to what they really want to know about our world,” she says, “and helping them to listen to each other as we learn together.” 
 
Science doesn’t have to stop with one lesson either, as Libolt has found integrating science throughout other subjects in the day keeps the novelty of learning high and impacts growth in other subjects, such as literacy. Larson agrees, saying that students asking questions and guiding their own experiments means they can better make sense of results in their own words. The open-ended inquiry encourages the students to take ownership and helps them feel capable of being a scientist. 
 
“Encouraging students to be the researcher and figure things out for themselves, rather than the teacher just telling them what they need to know is so different from the way I learned science in school,” Petersen says. “We are creating critical thinkers and engineers in our classrooms.”