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Kirstin Milks

@drmilks.bsky.social
1.7K followers 221 following 117 posts

High school science #teacher, futurist, maker, dad joke enthusiast. Communities of learning, innovation, empathy, and fun • 2025 prez #WeAreNABT • she/they • kirstinmilks.com #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching ❤️=\= endorsement

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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Stunned and incredibly grateful for this honor — being named my city’s 2026 Woman of the Year for my work in innovation education and youth development here in Bloomington! Thanks so much for this recognition, @citybloomington.bsky.social 💙
Bloomington Indiana Commission on the Status of Women 2026 Woman of the Year: Dr. Kirstin Milks, Biology Teacher and Girl Scout Leader, Bloomington High School South
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Cody Kirkpatrick @cody.im · 20/02/2026
I see a report of a confirmed tornado with this storm, in the last 2-3 minutes, so take this storm seriously. (Not on this radar image, but elsewhere.)
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Cody Kirkpatrick @cody.im · 19/02/2026
This storm is still looking "good" (read: strong & dangerous) and I think we are in for a close call here. A few minutes after 7:00. Now's the time to finish up your plans.
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
BRACKET DROP DAY!!!! Get yours now at the LibGuide! libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalM... Pick your portal: Players, Learners, or Educator! #2026MMM
Decorative Image Array of the Bracket Guide, the Combatant Logo and the 2026 Bracket. Screen-reader materials available at the LibGuide.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
🎉
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
@cody.im I heard there might be a weather balloon…????
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Mashfiq Ahmed @mrahmedgaming.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Congrats to @sayuri-neko.bsky.social and @drmilks.bsky.social for their book, Place-Based Science Teaching! I had the opportunity of contributing my personal story with Minecraft Education and place-based learning to this amazing work. Get your copy here: www.corwin.com/books/place-...
corwin.com
Place-Based Science Teaching
Grounded in cutting-edge research and real-world examples, this book offers K-12 science educators an innovative approach to building learning experie...
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
Such fun for @sayuri-neko.bsky.social & I to be live on the airwaves at WPFW! Thanks for having us on #UMustLearn as we talked about the power of #PlaceBasedTeaching & how it can help us build a more hopeful & just future. More: tinyurl.com/PlaceBasedScienceTeaching
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Such fun to join my school's #STEM teams at #MCCSC's #STEAM night, where we ran an engineering design challenge! Thanks to our students for helping engineers of all ages flex their prototyping power 💪 (all photos posted with kid & parent/guardian permission) #iteach #stemeducation #innovation
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 15/10/2025
UPDATE: Following the firing of the director of the student newspaper, Indiana University has now cut the print edition of the newspaper entirely. www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
Indiana University cuts IDS print entirely, hours after firing student media director
By IDS staff
Oct 15, 2025 1:23 pm · Updated Oct 15, 2025 1:23 pm
   
IU previously directed the Indiana Daily Student to stop printing news coverage in our newspaper. Upon pushback, the university fully cut print, including our special editions. The IDS was not involved in the decision.

Media School Dean David Tolchinsky sent the order to IDS leadership in an email responding to its appeal that the school not censor the newspaper. And the dean attributed the decision to “the campus.” He has not yet responded to a message for clarification.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Our book is here! @sayuri-neko.bsky.social & I are so thankful to all of you who’ve been cheering us on! Learn more at link in bio 💚 . #placebasedscienceteaching #placebasedlearning #scienceteacher #innovation #education #teaching #stemeducation #newbook
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
SO excited and proud that #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching is out the world!!
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Corwin @corwinpress.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
If you're attending #NSTA in November, this article from Corwin author @sayuri-neko.bsky.social will help you bring a place-based lens to the conference: www.nsta.org/blog/ca... @drmilks.bsky.social #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
#ISTELive #ASCDAnnual is delightful - join @sayuri-neko.bsky.social and me for #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching tomorrow with our easy, ?-based framework for sparking #stemeducation that's relevant, rooted in community, and just plain FUN! See you Wed July 2, 11–11:30, HBGCC-Stars at Night Turbo Talk 💚
The ISTE Live and ASCD Annual photo booth is a delight this year - and we are delighted to be standing in front of it. Text reads SPARK JOYFUL LEARNING in vibrant, Texas-inspired font with stylized plants and animals all around.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
Excited to be back in action w/ Whitney, bringing the joy of #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching to #ISTELive and #ASCD this week! See you Mon for tech & authentic #STEM and/or Wed for the power of place-based curriculum in transforming education for students AND their teachers 💚 @sayuri-neko.bsky.social
Place-based Teaching:
Expeditions in the Schoolyard
By: Kirstin Milks and Whitney Aragaki
ISTE/ASCD Conference
Wednesday July 2, 2025, 11:00 AMField Experiences: Blending Digital Learning with Authentic Outdoor
Education in Biology
By: Kirstin Milks and Whitney Aragaki
ISTE/ASCD Conference
Monday June 30, 2025, 1:00 PM
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Cody Kirkpatrick @cody.im · 25/06/2025
Yay! 'Wally, the resident corpse flower at the Indiana University Bloomington Biology Building Greenhouse, is preparing for another bloom.' today.iu.edu/iub/live/new...
today.iu.edu
Excitement is in the air – and soon an unforgettable scent
Wally, the resident Amorphophallus titanum — also known as the corpse flower — at the Indiana University Bloomington Biology Building Greenhouse, is p...
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
On the #PAEMST blog today: innovation education, featuring my students! So thankful to the PAMEST network for showing me how it's done - and to #SamsungSolve for supporting student change-making through #STEM innovation & #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching 📲 paemst.nsf.gov/blog/post/147
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Rewarding & Inspiring Great Teaching Since 1983


PAEMST Awardee leads Bloomington High School South to $125K STEM competition win 

In the span of a school year, a team of teenage scientists in Bloomington, Indiana, designed an athletic hearing-aid headband, pitched their invention on a national stage, and won a $125,000 prize package for their school. Kirstin Milks - a 2019 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching recipient - was the coach and mentor behind the team. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is an annual contest that challenges students to leverage STEM to improve their community. The contest is multiphase: teams submit proposals and activity plans, work with Samsung employees to develop prototypes, and create videos showcasing their products. It culminates in a live pitch where finalists present their solutions to a panel of judges. "The goal is to honor and support student- led innovation," said Milks, who teaches AP Biology and introductory science at Bloomington High School South.
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jsmithmargraf.bsky.social @jsmithmargraf.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Congratulations to David Renner, the 2025 ISTA ESP of the year! David greets the students and parents every morning with a handmade sign that brings them joy and laughter as he directs traffic, so the students congratulated him with handmade signs of their own. @ista-in.org
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Today we celebrate the amazing class of 2025. It’s been a tremendous honor to be your teacher — thank you for sharing your wisdom, your courage, your empathy, and your wit with me (and next year’s students!)💜
Bulletin board that says “words of wisdom” - it’s a collective mural for students to share what they’ve learned with next year’s incoming students
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Chanea Bond @heymrsbond.com · 26/05/2025
I wanna see more classroom teachers delivering keynotes, facilitating workshops, and given space and larger platforms to talk about what’s working/not working with students in this moment. Too many educator conferences, not nearly enough current teacher voices and experiences.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
@hnmalcolm.bsky.social
media.tenor.com
a picture of a penguin with the word hello on it
Alt: a picture of a penguin with the word hello on it - but not just any penguin - the little buddy from the penguins of madagascar, a classic film beloved by both john green and me. in this essay i will
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NPR @npr.org · 19/05/2025
Whether you get your forecast from an app on your phone, a website or a meteorologist on TV, most of the underlying information comes from the federal government. By @rhersher.bsky.social
npr.org
Where does your weather forecast come from?
Whether you get your forecast from an app on your phone, a website or a meteorologist on TV, most of the underlying information comes from the federal government.
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National Association of Biology Teacher @nabtbio.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
9 Federally Funded Scientific Breakthroughs That Changed Everything www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/s...
nytimes.com
9 Federally Funded Scientific Breakthroughs That Changed Everything
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Chanea Bond @heymrsbond.com · 17/05/2025
Hey so Palestinians, especially Palestinian children, do not deserve to starve to death.
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Cody Kirkpatrick @cody.im · 17/05/2025
If I had to pick a top five of posts you shared with me last night, it would be these, listed in no particular order. Credit to the original authors: 1. Debris lofted in the air bsky.app/profile/math... 2. Drone time lapse of the later storm moving over N. Monroe County bsky.app/profile/alex...
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
I’m so excited to announce that #biology education poster session proposals are now being accepted for the #WeAreNABT conference in St. Louis this fall! #Teachers, #students, and #professors, we’d love for you to share new lesson plans, lab exercises, or research data! Link below ⬇️
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
I’m so thankful to get to work with students like these amazing young innovators 🥰 Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Read more in this article from The Herald Times: Bloomington South team wins national #STEM competition for athletic hearing aid accessory www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/e...
Seven high schoolers, one teacher, all smiles. The young women are holding their prototype
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NPR @npr.org · 08/05/2025
The presidents of the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers say the political climate has added to age-old money problems for teachers, such as underfunded schools.
npr.org
On Teacher Appreciation Week, union leaders say teachers are underpaid and under attack
The presidents of the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers say the political climate has added to age-old money problems for teachers, such as underfunded schools.
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NPR @npr.org · 06/05/2025
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
npr.org
Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
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Armin Moczek @ecoevodevo-lab.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
For all in need of a break, an example of IU Biology at its best, fostering growth, knowledge, and opportunity through the agency of science and science education biology.indiana.edu/news-events/... @iubiology.bsky.social @ncse.bsky.social @drmilks.bsky.social
biology.indiana.edu
Mentorship at IU leads to published study, career shift for high school senior
IU Biology News: Mentorship at IU leads to published study, career shift for high school senior
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
Want to see why #innovation matters in #STEMed? Check in with our wonderful all-girl #SamsungSolve 🎉national winners🎉 on the local news ⬇️ Big thanks to @wrtv.bsky.social for highlighting what makes this team’s story and tech solution so special 💜
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
So proud of my student STEM inventors for winning a total of 🎉 $125,000 🎉 in technology for our school in #SamsungSolve for their sports accessibility device. Want a brighter future? Support youth innovation! More: news.samsung.com/us/samsung-a... #EduSky #STEMed #Innovation #SolveForTomorrow
Three very happy young women clutch each other and an award from Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Test reads: National Winner, Bloomington High School South, Bloomington IN. Photo shows three high school girls talking on a stage.Text reads Rising Entrepreneurship Winner: Bloomington High School South, Bloomington Indiana, with a photo of three smiling high school girls in front of a digital display of school names
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Tal Lavin @swordsjew.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
if you know a lot of stuff i think it is your moral duty to be kind and excited when people learn stuff for the first time. the world is full of stuff we don't know about, don't be mean
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Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) @ista-in.org · 25/04/2025
The anti-collective bargaining language has been removed from the final CCR for HB 1515. Thank you to everyone who reached out to their lawmakers on this issue over the last few days.
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Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) @ista-in.org · 25/04/2025
Good morning and goodnight from the Statehouse where the General Assembly has adjourned sine die for the 2025 session. Thank you to every member, advocate and supporter who stood with us this year—and to the lawmakers who put in the work.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
YES! Our #Ed4EnvChange (Educating for Environmental Change) summer institute is May 27-30! Teachers get $500 stipends, resources/supplies, breakfast & lunch, & housing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BNa... Sign up 🔗: education.indiana.edu/about/p-12-s... #TeachClimate #ClimateChange #ClimateEducation
youtube.com
Educating for Environmental Change Summer Science Institute
YouTube video by Environmental Resilience Institute at IU
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AAAAHH-lex Plante 🐀👑 @aplante.com · 19/04/2025
my 3yo set the table this morning for breakfast
a white table with about 15 forks laid out end to end around the perimeter
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National Association of Biology Teacher @nabtbio.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
www.npr.org/sections/the...
npr.org
Photos: Scientists trace a butterfly migration route that is millions of years old
Scientists have recently mapped the painted lady butterfly's annual flight from equatorial Africa to northern Europe and back, the world's longest butterfly migration. In Constant Bloom, photographer ...
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
What a WONDERFUL tale of unexpected nature in our everyday life from @nytimes.com! 🎁 Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/n... #PlaceBasedScienceTeaching #NYC #mushrooms
nytimes.com
Hunting the Wild Mushrooms of New York City (Gift Article)
There are thousands of species of fungus in the city, with names like American dyeball, dingy twiglet and devil’s dipstick. Some even glow in the dark.
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Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) @ista-in.org · 14/04/2025
What a day. Hundreds packed the Statehouse to stand up for our students, educators, and public schools. Thank you for showing up, speaking out, and standing strong. Let’s keep going—for our kids, our schools, and our future.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
So proud to be able to show our kids how many people are fighting for their future! Our letter-writing station collected 50+ letters from K-12 kids helping teach our elected state officials why school funding is urgent and essential. Thank you @istamembers.bsky.social ❤️
Two kids in red look over a “Red Sea” of hundreds and hundreds of educators and community members fighting for fully funded public schools at the Indiana StatehouseIndiana State Senator Hunley joins K12 students at a letter writing station
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NPR @npr.org · 11/04/2025
The agency forecasts weather, manages fisheries, and researches the world's oceans, atmosphere, and climate. The proposed budget cuts would slash the climate work entirely.
npr.org
Major budget cuts proposed for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The agency forecasts weather, manages fisheries, and researches the world's oceans, atmosphere, and climate. The proposed budget cuts would slash the climate work entirely.
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Cate Young @ninjacate.blacksky.app · 11/04/2025
oh you mean like every other time they've tried this? everywhere else in the world?
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
de-extinction’s “technical challenges are enormous, [and] the ethical ones are even more so…both the surrogate parents and newborn clones face a risk of suffering and trauma, used as mere instruments in a research project of unclear benefit.” www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
These fluffy white wolves explain everything wrong with bringing back extinct animals
Don’t buy the hype about “de-extinction.”
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Happy news in the midst of uncertainty: this headline's a great way to describe our #SamsungSolve national finalist project - from our school newspaper: www.bloomingtonsouthoptimist.org/19849/news/s... So excited to head to the national pitch event with these amazing students in just a few weeks!
Seven very happy high schoolers, all young women of color, stand together smiling holding an invention prototype against a happy blue sky. Text reads THE OPTIMIST (this is our school newspaper) and NEWS - STORM SHIELD: NEW ATHLETE AUDIO ARMOR
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Lara Durgavich @ldurgavich.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Happy 91st bday to the always inspirational Jane Goodall!! 🥳
media.tenor.com
a quote by jane goodall that says what you do makes a difference
ALT: a quote by jane goodall that says what you do makes a difference
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Cody Kirkpatrick @cody.im · 02/04/2025
Welcome to a Moderate Risk day, Bloomington. An aftn/eve. tornado watch is almost inevitable. Rules for today: - Make sure your phone is charged & not silent - Have a backup way to get warnings (weather radio, local tv station) - DO NOT listen for sirens unless outdoors - Know where your shelter is
Map from the Storm Prediction Center showing current weather radar and watches, and also the outline of today’s severe weather risk area.
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Kirstin Milks @drmilks.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Three cheers for my school’s amazing youth innovators who are on their way to nationals in the student Samsung Solve For Tomorrow competition in just a few weeks! Read more about their transformational innovation journey here: news.mccsc.edu/2025/04/02/b... #EduSky #STEMeducation #PBL #Innovation
Two very happy students hold up lawn signs announcing they are national finalists in this year’s Samsung Solve For Tomorrow competitionSeven students pose happily in the sunlight, with the middle student holding a prototype accessibility device to support people who wear hearing aids as they play sports!
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