New GK-12: Partnership between Educators and Researchers for Enhancing Classroom Teaching (PERFECT)

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For this new GK-12 project the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will partner with four secondary schools in the Chesapeake Bay region serving students from 15 school districts, from urban to suburban and rural areas. The partners include schools with traditional STEM curricula, as well as schools with a special focus on marine and environmental sciences. A high percentage of the students are from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM disciplines. The project will allow graduate fellows and faculty to incorporate state-of-the-art science and technology into K-12 STEM education, and use Chesapeake Bay as a locally relevant example to inspire the graders. Each GK-12 graduate fellow will team with an in-service teacher throughout the year. This buddy team format allows the fellow and the teacher to mentor and learn from each other. Teachers will gain valuable hands-on research experience by participating in fellows? research projects. In return, teachers will guide fellows to develop appropriate teaching materials and conduct classroom teaching. Special courses and workshops will be offered to further enhance fellows? and teachers? content understanding and communication skills.Through this project graduate fellows will gain valuable pedagogical skills and teaching experiences that are not available in traditional graduate training. More importantly, they will cultivate a life-long interest to contribute to K-12 science education via formal and informal means. The project will also strengthen the partnership between researchers and educators in the Chesapeake Bay region, and produce new teaching materials that will benefit the broader K-12 science education communities.