A $5 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to the University of Georgia will develop a state alliance to strengthen and elevate science teaching and ultimately reach every K-12 science teacher in Georgia.
Housed at UGA, this collaborative program draws upon the expertise of leaders at the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Science Supervisors Association, Georgia Science Teachers Association and Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center, along with several science educators and teacher leaders.
Led by Julie A. Luft, the Athletic Association Professor of Science Education and Distinguished Research Professor in the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education, the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program: Strengthening Georgia Science Teachers Through a Teaching Corps, Mentoring and Leadership Development will form three hubs that recognize teachers and provide them with various professional learning opportunities.
“The vision of this project is to highlight the excellence of Georgia science teachers, along with building community and advancing their professional positioning,” said Luft, a faculty member in the college’s department of mathematics, science and social studies education.
Along with Luft, the team guiding the work of the project includes Paula P. Lemons, senior associate dean of UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Amanda Buice, executive director of Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center; Melissa Neimi, director of science content for Muscogee County School District; and Jeremy Peacock, director of secondary education at Jackson County School District.
Each of the three hubs — STEM Teacher Corps, Capacity Building and Empower — will have its own focus.
Hub: STEM Teaching Corps will identify one K-12 science teacher from each of the 12 Georgia Science Teachers Association regions who will share their knowledge of teaching with educators in the state, join the National STEM Teaching Corps (a group of nationally recognized STEM teachers) and work across the other hubs.
The other two hubs will focus on supporting the professional learning of science teachers.
Hub: Building Capacity will foster connections between new and experienced science teachers across the state and build a statewide network of mentors, and Hub: Empower will highlight leadership programming for experienced science teachers and elevate the profession of science teaching.
All the hubs will have a corresponding research component, and the data gathered will inform how the researchers can further strengthen teaching systems and retain teachers. Each hub includes leaders from the alliance organizations, along with a College of Education graduate student who supports the hub’s work and associated data collection and analysis.
“It’s a collaborative effort, and there’s a plan for it to be sustainable,” Luft said. “I think that’s our long-term vision: Down the road, this project will in some iteration continue to support science teachers in their professional learning and recognize them for their significant work.”