The Science & Health Education Partnership at the University of California at San Francisco and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) are co-hosting the first-ever International Teacher-Scientist Partnership Conference in February 2013. There has been an increasing focus on the role of scientists in pre-college science education both in the United States and abroad. With this increase in attention, more partnership initiatives are begun each year with the goal of supporting K-12 science education. These partnerships originate in individual laboratories, through university departments or outreach centers, and through corporations and professional societies, and they receive funding from a wide variety of sources, such as private foundations, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, state and federal Departments of Education, and international funding agencies.

The International Teacher-Scientist Partnership Conference, by bringing together about 200 teachers, scientists, and partnership specialists for a 2-day meeting prior to the AAAS 2013 Annual Meeting in Boston, is significantly advancing the teacher-scientist partnership field. The Conference is an opportunity for partnership specialists - the professionals who develop and facilitate the partnership programs - from around the world to learn from one another about program structures and evaluation; to develop a professional community and potential collaborations; and, critically, to learn from teachers and scientists involved in these programs. Funding is available for early career scientists (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) and teachers to attend the conference. With keynote speakers, moderated panels, and breakout sessions, participants are sharing what has worked well for them when partnering teachers and scientists while also learning from others. This meeting has the potential to increase capacity for partnership work throughout the country and world. As the Conference concludes, information from the meeting will be posted on many websites, including here on MSPnet as well as AAAS .