Museum-Sponsored Workshops & Courses
Mission Cognition 2026 - Creating a Brain-Friendly Practice
Blended Course for K-12 Educators
This year we are bringing back our popular “Introduction to Mind and Brain Education” course, complete with all the latest evidence-based teaching practices. Make learning simpler and easier for you and your students by better understanding how the memory systems of the brain interact and function. Support the whole child by better understanding how movement, emotion & attention affect learning. We will keep this practical and fun by engaging in interactive exemplars for your classroom.
January-February 2026
Making Physics Real: Interactive Activities in Soft Matter, Climate, and Beyond
For Teachers Grades 6-12
Join us for a FREE, fun, hands-on professional development workshop designed to bring cutting-edge physics to life in your classroom! Explore the “squishy” world of soft condensed matter, dive into the physics of climate, and experiment with engaging activities that go beyond the textbook. Participants will receive free classroom materials and ready-to-use lessons to take home. Come discover new ways to make physics real, relevant, and exciting for your students! No prior experience with these topics is necessary. Open to STEM, physics, and physical science middle and high school educators.
March 15, 2026
What is Computational Thinking in Science?
For Teachers Grades 3-12
In this session, we will:
- Propose a definition of computational thinking specific to science.
- Explore and Practice using a framework for its operationalization in K–12 science education.
- Model and deconstruct specific exemplar lessons, grounded in Mind and Brain learning theory as well as Research into Computational Thinking in the Science Classroom
- Provide time to apply your new learning to your specific lessons and units
April 11, 2026
Conservate and Educate: An Outdoor Learning Retreat
For Elementary Educators
This one-day experience will bring elementary educators to an urban nature preserve to explore an abundance of plants and animals thriving in various habitats concentrated in the heart of Denver. With the NGSS as our guide, participants will delve into hands-on, science-based, and content-integrated activities that can easily be replicated both inside and outside of the classroom.
July 1, 2026