Nina Hike is a high school science teacher, researcher, writer, speaker, and podcast host whose work centers on justice, race, racism, identity, and community in science education.
My Work
- Teaching & Curriculum Design
- Writing & Public Scholarship
- Media & Interviews
- 2021 Illinois PAEMST National Awardee
- Pushing Praxis Podcast
Biography
Nina Hike teaches high school science and works as an adjunct instructor in science education. She also designs curriculum, conducts research, writes, speaks, and hosts a podcast. Over the past 30 years, she has taught AP, IB, Honors, and other high school science courses. Her classroom-tested approach helps students build strong scientific understanding by connecting science to their identities, experiences, and local communities.
Nina started teaching in 1996. Over time, her teaching style has shifted from traditional methods to an integrated approach that includes real scientific inquiry, an interdisciplinary curriculum, teacher research, and community engagement. She has mentored students in the Chicago Public Schools Science Fair, taught IB and AP classes, used the Science Writing Heuristic and NGSS, and brought Youth Participatory Science together with culturally relevant teaching. Nina creates lessons that keep academic standards high while valuing students’ identities and community knowledge. Her students explore real local issues, explain their findings with evidence, and take part in civic action by connecting science with history, culture, and civic life.
Nina is a Lead Contributor to ChemEdX and serves as a Teacher Leader with the Baxter Center for Science Education at Northwestern University. She has published articles in The Science Teacher and the Journal of Chemical Education. Nina also leads professional learning on curriculum design, NGSS, the Science Writing Heuristic, Youth Participatory Science, culturally relevant teaching, environmental justice, and community-centered science education.
She has presented at local and national science education conferences and participated in panels focused on science teaching and educational equity, sharing her work on chemistry sensemaking, culturally responsive teaching, environmental justice, and community-centered science learning.
Nina is a Ph.D. candidate in Curriculum and Instruction (Mathematics and Science Education) at the University of Illinois Chicago. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the same university and a Master of Education in Secondary Education from DePaul University. She is the 2021 Illinois National Awardee of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation’s highest honor for K–12 STEM educators.
Through Pushing Praxis, Nina supports educators in transforming science teaching. She shares classroom-tested curriculum, teaching frameworks, professional learning, writing, and podcast conversations that focus on NGSS, the Science Writing Heuristic, Youth Participatory Science, culturally relevant teaching, and Social Justice Science Issues.
