Friday, October 21, 2011

Interested in K-12 teaching?

On Tuesday, Oct. 25th, we will have an Information Session on the Georgia State graduate program in science education and two great funding opportunities for future science teachers. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Clough Bldg, room 205 (Undergrad Studies, by the information desk and Starbucks). This will be casual and conversational. Everyone is welcome!

GSU students--some of whom are Tech alumni--and faculty from the graduate-level Science Education department will be at Tech to talk about the programs and share their experiences as they transition to teaching science (Broad Field, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space, or Physics).

The evening will highlight the I-MAST Scholars Program (Impacting Metro-Atlanta Science Teaching). This NSF-funded program is a GT/GSU partnership to support Tech students and alumni who want to become science educators (grades 6-12). The scholarship is worth between $12,000-$24,000. Tech students are eligible to receive the scholarship during their senior year (at Tech) and also during their MAT year (at GSU), or just for the MAT year. In addition to funding, the I-MAST also provides a professional learning community, support during the first years of teaching, and opportunities to attend and present at conferences.

And we will also have a presentation on the Knowles Science Teaching Fellowship (KSTF). The KSTF is a nationally-prestigious fellowship for people with STEM degrees who choose to become passionate teacher leaders in Biology, the Physical Sciences, or Math. The 5-year fellowship is worth approximately $150,000. One of the 2011 KSTF Biology Fellows is from Georgia and currently in the MAT at GSU. She will talk about the application process, the KSTF program and benefits, and be able to share her path from a BS in Biology to starting her teaching career. This is a great way to really learn about the program and get first-hand advice on preparing and applying for it. NOTE: KSTF funding can be used to support any teacher certification program, including alternative certification options-- it is not tied to GSU. See http://www.kstf.org/.

Questions? Please contact Beth Spencer, Director of Pre-Teaching, at beth.spencer@provost.gatech.edu.