CHARLOTTE – Discovery Place Education Studio has announced the 2015 cohort of its flagship program STEM Fellows, a three-year fellowship that prepares local teachers for dynamic, hands-on learning experiences in order to deliver high-impact STEM lessons in the classroom that prepare students for real world challenges.
With over 70 applications received, 26 educators from North and South Carolina, including one from Wake County and seven from Charlotte, were selected for the 2015 STEM Fellows cohort.
“STEM Fellows is not only about increasing STEM content in the classroom, but more importantly about learning how to engage students in impactful, meaningful conversations that are relevant in our everyday lives,” said Discovery Place Education Studio Director, Stephanie Hathaway.
“There is an urgent need both locally and nationally to support teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Our goal is to equip them with the right tools, technology and confidence that they need to broaden inquiry-based STEM education.”
Flagship offering
STEM Fellows is the flagship offering of Discovery Place Education Studio and is designed to give teachers and educators skills and tools that can be adapted to meet the needs of their own classrooms. Over the three-year program, participants will move from learning about STEM content and science education to becoming community problem solvers and engaging in action-based research in their own classrooms.
STEM Fellows will begin their first year engaging in immersive experiences that focus on supporting growth in pedagogy, before moving into field experiences with STEM-based partners and completing a high level research project.
The 2015 Fellows join a network of Discovery Place’s previous Fellows from the past five years. STEM Fellows participation is by application only. To qualify, applicants must be full-time educators employed in North Carolina or South Carolina public, private, parochial or charter schools. School or district-level facilitators working with STEM educators and employees of informal education institutions (e.g. museums, zoos) are also encouraged to apply.
2015-2016 STEM Fellows Cohort:
North Carolina
Carla Billups Buncombe County Schools STEM Curriculum Coach
Marie Harris Charlotte Mecklenburg Library ImaginOn
Pamela Weghorst Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Ardrey Kell High School
Nancy Betler Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Eastover Elementary School
Ted Miracle Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Endhaven Elementary
Rebecca Grgurina Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Kennedy Middle
Jillian Whurr Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools River Oaks Academy
Kenyatta Davenport Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Thomasboro Academy
Kelly Autry Crossnore, NC – Private School Williams Academy
Jessica Mains Crossnore, NC – Private School Williams Academy
Stephanie Patton Henderson County Public Schools Fletcher Elementary School
Meredith Katz Kannapolis City Schools Kannapolis Intermediate School
Amy Minton Kannapolis City Schools Kannapolis Middle School
Renee Jewell Newton-Conover City Schools Newton-Conover Middle School
Elizabeth McNamara NCAIS – Independent Schools Gaston Day School
Carrie Hoke NC Public Charter School Pine Lake Preparatory (Mooresville)
Jennifer Clarke NC Public Charter School Pine Lake Preparatory (Mooresville)
George Latzos NC Public Charter School Socrates Academy (Matthews)
Kerri Edwards Union County Public Schools Marshville Elementary School
Amy Grzybowski Union County Public Schools Porter Ridge High School
Andrea Savill Union County Public Schools Walter Bickett Elementary School
Melissa Schug Wake County Public Schools Wakefield High school
Maggie Caldwell Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools Clemmons Elementary
For a full list of other professional development and STEM educator classes, visit educationstudio.org