ANISN - Associazione Nazionale Insegnanti di Scienze Naturali

The Italian National Association of Natural Sciences Teachers (ANISN), founded in March 1979, brings together teachers, scientists and experts that share the goals of promoting the educational value of Science, improving the professionalism of teachers and supporting the quality of scientific education in Italy. ANISN is recognised as a legal personality and as a training institution by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research; it is an external body to the school administration for the valorisation of excellence among middle and high school students. Every 3 years, the Association organises a National Conference, whose proceedings are published. Since 2002, ANISN has been organising the Italian Natural Sciences Olympiad for high school students (http://olimpiadi.anisn.it), which selects the members of the Italian team for the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) and the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), and since 2011 it has also been organising a national competition for middle school students (the "Experimental Sciences Games"). ANISN has been actively promoting the diffusion of IBSE (Inquiry Based Science Education) in Italy since 2008, thanks also to its partnership in European projects (such as Fibonacci, SUSTAIN, LINKS and AMGEN Teach) and to the collaboration with UNESCO for the Ark of Inquiry project. To this end, it has promoted the creation of a national network of 10 local ANISN Training Centers, located in various Italian regions and coordinated through the School for Inquiry. More information about these projects on http://www.anisn.it . ANISN also operates through national and local magazines and its website (http://www.anisn.it/), newsletter and Facebook page, and has 26 local sections spread throughout Italy, with over 2,000 members and about 500 collective partners (i.e., schools and associations); it cooperates with multiple universities, research institutions and academies.