Since 1991, the Science Education Partnership has helped forge partnerships between research scientists and over 200 secondary school science teachers in Washington State. Through workshops and a science mentor program, teachers learn about laboratory research and current topics and techniques in biology, and scientists hone their teaching skills and learn more about how science is being taught in middle school and high school classrooms.
The mentorship program is unique in that the scientists are directly involved in setting up the partnerships. Each spring, participating scientists select a teacher to work with from the applicant pool and the two work together to design a research experience that is mutually satisfying and tailored to the individual interests of the teacher.
This arrangement often leads to lasting partnerships that extend beyond the summer session to include classroom visits by scientists during the school year. Perhaps more importantly, these partnerships have helped to dispel some of the common stereotypes that each group perceives about the other. The diversity of research projects over the past several years has been enormous and has included such topics as protein structure, DNA sequencing, yeast genetics, fruit fly development, and oncogenes.
More specifically, we are working
1) To develop active partnerships that link teachers, scientists, and biomedical research institutions.
2) To provide teachers professional development in science content, professional practice, and leadership
3) To develop rich classroom learning experiences with relevant instructional materials and learning assessments
4) To facilitate access to essential tools and materials for active learning and hands-on investigations
5) To prepare scientists to communicate the excitement, challenge, and results of their work with teachers, students, and the public
6) To facilitate teacher and student access to scientists as role models for careers in science
7) To build and maintain the emerging life science Professional Learning Community (PLC) through our partnerships and resources. These resources include the SEP website, newsletter, Resource Center, and important collaborations and connections with other programs locally, regionally, and nationally.
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