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When veteran Core Knowledge Schools reminisce about the early days of their journeys with Core Knowledge, many talk about the amazing conferences that Core Knowledge had back in the early 2000s.  It was a time for teachers and administrators to meet with others who were experiencing the same successes and challenges in their own schools. Educators were able to share best practices as well as ideas on how to bring the curriculum to life.  This was no small feat as this was a time when there were no curricular materials and teachers had to create their own lessons based on the Core Knowledge Sequence.

Fast-forward to today.  The Core Knowledge Foundation has not hosted a conference in over 10 years and teachers are now supported with curricular materials for nearly every subject area, but there is still something they are longing for: a connection to teachers whose experiences are similar to their own in the classroom.  This is why the Foundation has decided to resurrect its National Conference.

On June 26th and 27th 2025 in Orlando, FL the Core Knowledge Foundation will once again be hosting our National Conference. We will bring educators from across the country together to learn and celebrate. Our model for this conference is simple: for teachers by teachers.  Educators learn best from their peers, and we aim to provide them with beneficial opportunities. These practitioners will be sharing best practices and practical ideas that can be implemented easily in their classroom. If you are interested in presenting, please fill out our call for proposal form.  All presenters will receive free registration. 

The conference will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa.

We will also be hosting sessions with the creators of our materials, who will share ideas on how to effectively implement our materials, including CKSci hands-on demonstrations.  Our keynote speakers will be Robert Pondiscio and Susan Lambert.  Robert and Susan are not only experts in the field of education, but also staunch Core Knowledge supporters and have been associated with the Foundation for many years. We are honored that they wanted to be a part of the conference.

To learn more, please check out our conference webpage.  To receive updates on the conference and much more, please complete our stay in the know form.

Building a science-literate citizenry is a goal of Core Knowledge Science.

Core Knowledge Foundation is committed to fostering science literacy in students K-5. But our mission is not to turn every student into a scientist by profession, but rather it is to allow for the development of scientifically literate citizens. Internet searches often only define the term science literacy to mean knowledge of the procedures and skills involved in scientific processes. Fair enough.

What does Core Knowledge Foundation mean by the term science literacy—and what is a scientifically literate citizen?

Knowledge of Scientific Processes
Science literacy is a mindset that values the importance of observing, hypothesizing, and testing. Science literacy involves awareness of how scientists obtain and analyze data, what a conclusion is, how conclusions are shared, and what it means for an idea to be elevated to the status of a scientific theory or law. Furthermore, a person who is science-literate understands that science grows and that the science behind any subject may change as new facts become established. Certainly, science literacy must encompass all these notions.

The Role of Science in Society
A science-literate citizen also understands the role of science in our society. They recognize the importance of science knowledge in helping private and public groups make decisions based not on emotion, rumor, gossip, or hearsay, but rather on the foundation of careful research and established scientific facts. One ethical commitment of a scientifically literate populace is a willingness to incorporate scientific thought into aspects of popular thought, emotion, and mood. Scientific thinking helps balance discussions at all levels of government and all levels of private decision-making.

Science is Connected to all Human Endeavors
Science literacy can apply to all aspects of human learning, such as art, history, biography, mathematics, music, philosophy, and literature. To these areas of human endeavor, the scientifically literate person applies scientific thinking to make informed judgments about a novel or a painting to understand the artist’s vision. A scientifically literate view of history, for example, focuses on how science and society interacted in the past, determines at what times science flourished, and examines when and why at other times it did not.

How does Core Knowledge Foundation meet this responsibility? We built a curriculum that addresses science literacy in a beautiful and kid-friendly suite of.

Core Knowledge Science Literacy K-5 is avant-garde, breaking new ground in elementary education by offering a systematic, logical, spiraling curriculum in what will become an important, essential body of knowledge for young students. Each grade has a Student Book, Teacher Guide, Online Resources, and our new Digital Engagements.

To learn more, visit our Science Overview page.