Education writer Madeline Will reports on the importance of supporting our youngest learners by focusing on STEM in the elementary classroom. "Young kids are, all on their own, completely committed to being excited and interested in STEM topics," noted NSTA Executive Director David Evans. "The sad thing is, if there isn't good support in schools, they lose that by the time they get to middle school." Read the article—which highlights NSTA/NCTM STEM Teacher Ambassador Julie Neidhardt—featured in Education Week and check out the Education News Roundup for a selection of the week's other top education news stories.

Congratulations to the 39 regional winners of the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge. The regional winners each received a school science lab makeover support package valued at $10,000 (for the elementary and middle levels) and $15,000 (for the high school level). The winning teachers now advance to the national phase of the competition, in which they will have a chance to win an additional $5,000 of support to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in St. Louis, Missouri. Read the press release.

Don't miss the June 1 advance deadline to save on registration for the 2018 STEM Forum & Expo, hosted by NSTA, taking place July 11–13 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lively panel discussions, innovative exhibitor workshops, and in-depth educator sessions (not to mention the offsite networking socials) will allow you to dive deeply into STEM topics with other educators. Learn more and register.

Only two days left to get a free #ThankAScienceTeacher t-shirt when you sign up for a regular NSTA membership with the promo code MAY18. With your NSTA membership you get access to classroom-tested resources, our award-winning journals, deep discounts on books and conferences, and support from a trusted community of learners. Join the NSTA family today.

Join @stemedadvocate, Jodi Peterson, for this June 12 Education Week webinar that will focus on Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act and how schools and districts can spend their Title IV funds on STEM and technology, and on school safety and health, arts education, and college and career readiness programs. For more information and to register go here.

We've put together an e-book of new teaching strategies from our latest books. It's our way of showing our appreciation for all that you do. Offer ends on May 31 and so does our free shipping offer, so don't miss out!

Learn about eBooks+ Kids author Morris McMormick's journey to bring this story about force to life in this profile.

NSTA aims to increase teacher, school, and district capacity to implement three-dimensional programs with innovative instructional strategies that model the student learning experience. Learn more about the many professional learning experiences we offer.

Things are heating up this spring in preparation for the midterm elections this fall.

March for Science is asking candidates to host a science–focused town hall the week of August 6, the week of action. Science Debate is inviting all House, Senate, and gubernatorial candidates to answer 10 science policy questions before election day. Read more.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2018–19 Next Generation STEM Teaching Project (NGSTP), a program sponsored by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP). K-12 teachers, who are interested in enriching their professional learning experiences and receiving funding for a classroom project, are encouraged to apply. Applications are due June 1. For more information about the program or to apply, click here.

The use of power tools, such as table saws, drill presses, and miter saws, is becoming more common in science and STEM laboratories. This NSTA blog post describes machine-guarding safety protocols that schools need to develop to minimize such safety hazards.