Summer Research Fellows

Research experiences allow teachers to do laboratory science, then share the enthusiasm, career information, and hands-on investigations they generate with their own students. The fellows investigate a range of subjects; past research has included plant diseases, gene sequencing, and pond life communities.

Most fellowships consist of a single summer experience in a specific subject area. Teachers are matched with faculty mentors in Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine based on interest and availability. These fellowships include a small budget for classroom extension projects. Some fellows are invited to return the following summer to participate in curriculum development work.

Research Projects

Abstracts for research projects completed in 2003, 2004, and 2005 are available for viewing from the Washington University Science Outreach website.

Curriculum Projects

Four new inquiry-based curriculum projects were completed in 2005. Three high school units and one middle school unit are available for download and beta testing by interested teachers. Supplies for the activities are available to St. Louis area teachers from Washington University Science Outreach.

Assessment

At the end of each summer, the fellows were asked to formally assess the program for the quality and effectiveness of their research experience, the program design, and the program organization. The fellows filled out two structured assessment forms and submitted informal comments.

SRF Program Evaluation

Selected Quotes from Fellows

"My summer was the most challenging, educational, non-stressful, and exciting I have experienced in a very long time. There was so much to learn and do."

"The level of work was very much more than I expected, however, the lab experience forced me out of the box and stretched my intellectual level to much greater lengths. That was great."

"My curriculum will be very useful in my classroom. I really appreciated the experience of writing a complete curriculum. The program has opened up many opportunities for me."

"Wonderful field experience. Highly recommended! Can't wait to utilize my new network of friends/educators."

About

The WU/HHMI Summer Research Fellowships for Science Teachers Program was designed to give middle and high school science teachers an opportunity to work in the research laboratory setting. The specific goal for the program was for science teachers to learn first-hand about the changes in biomedical research methods due to recent gains in genomic information and to incorporate this experience into new curriculum appropriate for their classrooms. The individual fellowships are designed to run over the course of two summers, with the first summer focused on the science teacher's individual research experience, and the second summer focused on creating new curriculum based on the research experience, thereby bringing the impact of the genomic revolution to the classroom.