Amy Morton is excited to partner with teachers and administrators to create dynamic science learning environments. She strives to empower students to be curious about the world and embrace science to make sense of what they want to understand. Amy implements professional development programs that bring teachers together to explore and master forward-thinking instructional strategies grounded in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). She believes that communities are rich with authentic science experiences, even as close as the schoolyard, that can contribute to positive science identities in all learners.

Before joining Extension, Amy spent five years at a Chicago museum developing, implementing, and managing high-quality science programming for teachers and students. During that time, she developed multiple science curricula for grades K-8, engaged teachers in content-and-pedagogy-focused professional learning, and partnered with hundreds of Chicago teachers in their classrooms to engage their students in hands-on, minds-on science learning.

Teacher professional learning provides the perfect opportunity to draw on Amy’s eleven years teaching middle school math and science in Chicago and suburban Cook County. However, her current expertise in research-based K-12 science pedagogy grew from her experiences as a participant in Extension STEM teacher professional development programs.

Amy has a Master of Arts in Teaching and is a State of Illinois licensed professional educator, endorsed in science and math. She presented at the Expanding Your Horizons Youth STEM conference for Middle School Girls at University of Illinois at Chicago in 2023, the Association of Science and Technology Centers Conference in 2022, The Nature of Cities Festival Worldwide Conference in 2022, and the Office of Community Education Partnerships STEM Summit in 2019.