Kearns STEM Teaching Fellows
The David T. Kearns Center is aiming to increase the number of future STEM faculty prepared to teach and enhance the learning outcomes of the increasingly diverse population of students in higher education.
That is why the Kearns Center is introducing the Kearns STEM Teaching Fellowships, an opportunity for graduate students to assist in the creation of STEM curriculum for the center’s pre-college TRIO programs (both in-person and virtually). The pre-college TRIO programs are designed for low-income and first-generation students.
The Kearns Center will select graduate students from each department participating in the Upward Bound summer program who will be assisting STEM faculty members as Kearns STEM teaching fellows.
Up to two fellows per department would be responsible for working with Kearns Center staff on receiving training to design appropriate STEM curricula and assist in content development and delivery. An additional fellow for each department hosting an intern will be responsible for serving as a lab mentor to these students.
The fellows will receive training from Kearns Center staff on:
- Managing bias
- Creating inclusive learning environments
- Teaching diverse student populations*
*This includes populations with diverse ethnicity, language, age, educational background, relative numeracy and literacy, and other cultural markers that shape the way individuals process learning
Fellowship Types
Curriculum Fellows
Curriculum fellows will be trained to develop a project-based STEM course for high school students with minimal exposure to the content. Curriculum will then be delivered during a three to four day course as part of the Upward Bound Summer Program. The lesson plans for this curriculum will be made available to pre-college TRIO programs nation-wide.
Curriculum fellows will receive a 500-dollar stipend.
Research Mentor Fellows
Research mentor fellows will be trained in developing a research project for high school students with minimal exposure to the content. Research projects will be based on work being done in the fellows’ research lab. Fellows will also supervise and mentor high school students as they perform the research for approximately 16-20 hours during the summer.
Research mentor fellows will receive a 1,000-dollar stipend.
Objectives
The fellowships offer an intense emphasis on learning through diversity. At the end of the experience, Kearns STEM teaching fellows will be able to:
- Identify curricular development, teaching and assessment practices that promote learning for diverse students
- Recognize existing inequities, and promote an inclusive and respectful climate for learning in their classroom and lab activities
This program will also help fellows be more aware of students’ diverse backgrounds and their implications for learning, as well gain experience in developing inquiry-based STEM curriculum or project for high school students.
Applying
Those interested in becoming a Kearns STEM Teaching fellow can be nominated by a faculty member or can nominate themselves. The nomination forms can be found here: