About Us

Birth of the Idaho Science Teaching Association

1962 – Richard Kay, a Zoology teacher in the State of Utah, resigned his teaching position in Utah and came to Idaho to accept the job as State Science Supervisor.  As such he developed the idea that Idaho should have a Professional organization that would represent the Science teachers of the State.  (The next couple of years Dick Kay and Bill Smallwood, a teacher in Hailey, Idaho and an Idaho Biology textbook author, entertained the idea of developing a Professional Organization for Science Teachers.)

1965/66 – Bill Smallwood and Dick Kay after many discussions over coffee, came up with a fledgling organization they branded as the Idaho Science Teachers Association, (ISTA).  Dick wrote the original constitution and the ISTA as an official science organization was born.

1967 – Terry Armstrong, a Biology teacher in Idaho, became the 1st President of the Organization and members were called for.  The ISTA started with less than 40 members!  Claude Hanson, another Biology teacher in Boise, became the 2nd president and the Organization started growing.  

1965 – 2006 – Dick Kay served as the Executive Secretary of the ISTA writing grants, revising the constitution, adding By-Laws, and in general serving as the experiential counsel for the Organization.  The ISTA grew to an average of 250 +/- members during his tutelage.