About Eileen Blank
With
20 years experience lighting up young science minds and coaching educators in
multiple organizations, Eileen Blank is a leader in building elementary science
education. She is highly skilled at developing curricula, workshops and written
materials empowering learners to see the world through the lens of science.
In all Eileen’s programs, students become immersed in content and big ideas, while engaging in problem solving and literacy. The dominant focus is to pique students’ interest through hands-on investigations and guide them through the process of scientific inquiry. This includes posing questions, forming hypotheses, running experiments, making observations and formulating conclusions. She brings these elements together in a rich and stimulating environment with a pace designed to engage young minds.
Eileen’s effectiveness in her field is highlighted by the way she boosted the visibility and level of science teaching in a NYC public school where she taught for several years. Her enthusiasm was catching as she worked hand-in-hand with administrators, teachers and parents to create a rounded science experience for students. Simple Machines, Insects and Small Invertebrates, States of Matter, Botany, and Recycling are a sampling of the topics she covered. She supported staff to get beyond their apprehension of teaching the messier parts of science by housing animals, plants and compost bins in their classrooms. Eileen’s effectiveness expanded outside the classroom to include site-specific inquiry studies and family science days.
Eileen has also made a significant impact in the sphere of informal science education. She headed the early childhood department of an environmental education organization where she originated creative programs exposing urban children to the richness of their local parks and neighborhood streets through the study of the natural and built environments. She organized and taught staff development programs for school districts at schools and in local parks.
Eileen’s focus on Pre-k to 5th Grade is further enhanced by her Masters in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education and her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. In recognition of her contributions through the years, she has been asked to present at city, state and national education conferences such as the ones held by the National Science Teacher Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
In all Eileen’s programs, students become immersed in content and big ideas, while engaging in problem solving and literacy. The dominant focus is to pique students’ interest through hands-on investigations and guide them through the process of scientific inquiry. This includes posing questions, forming hypotheses, running experiments, making observations and formulating conclusions. She brings these elements together in a rich and stimulating environment with a pace designed to engage young minds.
Eileen’s effectiveness in her field is highlighted by the way she boosted the visibility and level of science teaching in a NYC public school where she taught for several years. Her enthusiasm was catching as she worked hand-in-hand with administrators, teachers and parents to create a rounded science experience for students. Simple Machines, Insects and Small Invertebrates, States of Matter, Botany, and Recycling are a sampling of the topics she covered. She supported staff to get beyond their apprehension of teaching the messier parts of science by housing animals, plants and compost bins in their classrooms. Eileen’s effectiveness expanded outside the classroom to include site-specific inquiry studies and family science days.
Eileen has also made a significant impact in the sphere of informal science education. She headed the early childhood department of an environmental education organization where she originated creative programs exposing urban children to the richness of their local parks and neighborhood streets through the study of the natural and built environments. She organized and taught staff development programs for school districts at schools and in local parks.
Eileen’s focus on Pre-k to 5th Grade is further enhanced by her Masters in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education and her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. In recognition of her contributions through the years, she has been asked to present at city, state and national education conferences such as the ones held by the National Science Teacher Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
