Teacher Institute
Our mission is to create and support a collaborative community of teachers, at all levels of their careers, through professional development that joyfully emphasizes the teaching and learning of science as a process for understanding the world around us.
The Exploratorium Teacher Institute (TI) has been the professional development home for middle school and high school math and science teachers since 1984. TI’s mission is to create and support a collaborative community of teachers, at all levels of their careers, through professional development that joyfully emphasizes the teaching and learning of science as a process for understanding the world around us. Each year, more than a thousand teachers attend TI workshops and programs designed to provide opportunities for them to ask questions as learners, share expertise as practitioners, and develop as leaders. Find out more about us.
Interested in participating in a Teacher Institute program? There are opportunities for both new and experienced teachers. All program participants are provided with stipends for attending our institutes and workshops.
Teacher Institute Alumni Resources
California Teacher Leader Network
For middle and high school science teachers who also provide supports to other teachers, we are creating a statewide network of Secondary Science Teacher Leaders to support NGSS implementation. Participants from across California attend a one-week institute at the Exploratorium and then continue to share, find support, and learn online through workshops and a community listserv.
Summer Institute
If you are a middle school or high school science teacher with at least three years of teaching experience, then attend our annual Summer Institute and immerse yourself in the Exploratorium’s philosophy of inquiry-rich, hands-on teaching. Engage with phenomena using science and engineering practices, build small versions of Exploratorium exhibits for your class, and join a community of educators dedicated to employing the best practices in experiential science education.
If you have previously attended a Summer Institute, then you are a Teacher Institute alumnus. We offer various workshops for alumni during the summer and on Saturdays during the academic year. More information is available on the Alumni web page
Early Career Science Teacher Program
This two-year program is specifically designed for secondary science teachers (grades 6–12) who have already completed 2–3 full years of classroom teaching and are seeking ways to deepen their expertise in phenomenon-based teaching, pedagogical practices, student engagement, and classroom equity. We recognize that this is a critical point in teachers’ careers, when teachers are poised to embody their visions of excellent classroom practice, but state and site-funded support often wanes. We are seeking teachers who believe in and are committed to science learning for all students.
Teacher Leadership Program
Are you interested in mentoring or coaching novice teachers? Our Teacher Leadership Program trains experienced science teachers to gain the skills and knowledge needed to provide this role in our Teacher Induction Program.
