Stephanie Bestelmeyer

Dr. Bestelmeyer creates and implements innovative science education programs for K-12 students and teachers. Programs focus on increasing students’ science literacy and their interest in considering science careers for themselves. She has served as the Executive Director of the nonprofit Asombro Institute for Science Education since 2000. Asombro means “wonder” in Spanish, and this is exactly what the organization brings to more than 24,000 K-12 students and 1,000 adults each year through the delivery of field trips, classroom/schoolyard lessons, and teacher workshops. Asombro programs vary in topic and format, but all share several characteristics: (1) all lessons align with education standards (including the Next Generation Science Standards), (2) programs are inquiry-based (participants learn science by doing science), and (3) program are place-based and include the most up-to-date science thanks to Asombro’s collaborations with scientists at multiple universities and agencies. For this project, Dr. Bestelmeyer is a lead for the K-12 Education team. This team will develop and deliver K-12 science lessons that related to themes and results from this project.