How to Plan a miniCAST

Lora and Tim Holt

techscichick@gmail.com

timholt@me.com

A Word from Our Legal

Department…

SECTION IV

MINI-CAST

The purpose of any regional Mini-CAST that STAT sponsors or hosts shall be in accordance with the

purpose and mission statement of STAT as outlined in Article III of the Bylaws. STAT may provide

seed money up to $500.00 per regional Mini-CAST per Education Service Center area to help

sponsor smaller, regional versions of the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching

(CAST). An opportunity to join STAT must be made available.

All dues and membership information collected at a regional Mini-CAST must be forwarded to the

STAT Executive Director no more than thirty (30) working days after the event.

STAT will fund to each regional Mini-CAST one (1) free, non-transferable registration to the next

CAST for use as a door prize. The name of the winner and contact information must be submitted

to the STAT Executive Director no later than thirty (30) working days after the regional Mini-CAST.

Once a region has hosted a Mini-CAST sponsored by STAT, it may not apply for another grant for

five (5) years.

All regional Mini-CASTs—whether they receive STAT funding or not—must submit a final report to

the STAT President-Elect no later than thirty (30) working days after the conference. The report

should include, but is not limited to:

a copy of the final program including changes/addendum’s;

attendance figures broken down by new STAT members, renewing STAT members, and other

attendees

STAT Policy and Procedure Manual

Location

Workshops

Publicity

Door Prizes

Volunteers

Program/ Online Schedule

Exhibits

vs.Solo CommitteesBAD GOOD

Make sure you take care of

your committee chairs.

Meetings should involve food,

be fun, and planned in

advance.

Location

๏ Flow is Important

๏ One Floor is best

๏ Exhibits close to

classes

๏ Big Rooms

๏ Small Rooms

๏ WIFI a must!

๏ Friendly

Administration

๏ Cooperative

Custodians

๏ Teachers Willing to

give up rooms

Big Rooms

Small Rooms

Exhibits and Sponsors

• Advertise as a chance to

reach new markets

• What is “hot” this year?

• Be able to “sell” the

conference to the vendors

• Begging is good

• Use CAST as a Starting point

• Use your district vendors

• Google “Science Education”

• Use publishers

• Use technology companies

Exhibits

Things that need Sponors

• Keynote

• Bags

• Door Prizes

• Social Events

• Lunch

• Bags

• Any Pre Conf

Workshops

• Begging is good

Exhibit Hall

Provide Draped Booth Space (appox. $100 each)

6x8 with table and 2 chairs

Breaks should include time to visit exhibit hall

Keep bringing attendees back to hall (ice cream social)

Set up for vendors the evening before

We charge $200 per booth + $15 for electricity

Onsite Lunch and Registration in Exhibit Hall

Program

Easy to Read Map

Vendors

Letters from VIPS

List of Sessions

Thank you’s

Info about Keynote Info about Special Sessions

List of Sponsors

Basic Schedule

Description of Sessions

Have program printed and online

Keynote

Michael Despizio

Houghton Mifflin

Andres Ruzo

Cengage / Nat Geo

Broad Appeal of Message (K-12)

New Message for Teachers

Student Centered is Better

Look for Exhibitors to Sponsor

Look for Local Scientists or People working in STEM

Workshops

and

Schedule

All workshops need to:

Follow NSTA Safety Rules

Be useful for the teachers

If you have a theme,

must meet theme

All workshops need to:

Follow NSTA Safety Rules

Be useful for the teachers

If you have a theme, must meet theme

Aligned to standards

Signed off by committee

SCHED.ORG is your friend!

Prints Room Assignments

Print PDF of Schedule

Let’s Attendees pick schedule

Let’s Vendors Contact Attendees

Publicity

Posters

Website

Area Superintendents

Area COE

Regional Service Centers

Teacher Organizations

Science Organizations

Regional School Districts

PNP/ Charter Schools

What

Who

WhereWhenHow

Both Videos

Teacher PSA

http://youtu.be/uHKF8gkprak

Admin PSA:

http://youtu.be/O1b9WBWFdAQ

Volunteers

Volunteers

Work in Shifts

In each major event/section of building

Easily Visible

14 YO and above

Feed Them

They will do things you may not remember:

Bag Stuffing

Registration

Suggestions:

Partner with an organization that can process POs

Keep Registration Cost Low

Put Registration in the Exhibit Hall if Possible

Study how “big conferences” do it, then scale down

Offer early opportunity to pick up bags

Question

s?