SFSU SEPAL Summer Research Partnerships For Teachers Program

The SFSU Department of Biology's SEPAL -- the expansion and institutionalization of science education partnership efforts initiated by the GK-12 Partnership Programs (www.sfsu.edu/~sepal) -- is seeking COSE faculty collaborators interested in partnering in order to pursue supplemental NSF funds to establish a Summer Research Partnerships for Teachers Program, likely beginning in summer 2007. Such a program would bring together grades 6-12 science teachers and SFSU scientists and scientific trainees to conduct research during the summer months. Initial goals of the program are to:

• provide authentic scientific inquiry experiences for local grade 6-12 teachers
• expand capacity and funding for faculty research efforts during the summer
• build opportunities for scientists and teachers to form partnerships in a research setting
• develop a community of SFSU teacher researchers on the SFSU campus each summer
• provide institutional context and support for COSE faculty's NSF broader impacts requirements for research grants

This Summer Research Partnership for Teachers Program is one of several new efforts to institutionalize science education partnership efforts begun through the GK-12 Partnership Program. Founded in 2000, the GK-12 effort continues and is expanding through the establishment of SEPAL and a second phase of funding through 2009.

The SFSU SEPAL would like to explore COSE faculty interest in including teachers in their summer research projects through available NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) supplemental funds. The SFSU COSE currently has 31 NSF funded research projects that may be eligible for such RET supplemental funds. In addition, there are over 30 middle and high school teacher alumni of the GK-12 Partnership Program, as well as nearly 400 middle and high school teachers in general in the San Francisco public schools who may interested in this type of research opportunity at SFSU. With the new Federal No Child Left Behind requirements for teacher professional development, a Summer Research Partnership for Teachers Program would be highly attractive to many teachers.

SEPAL is committed to working with faculty to compose RET supplement proposals and would take on the primary responsibility of recruiting, selecting, and structuring support activities to complement teacher research activities during such a Summer Research Partnerships for Teachers. COSE Faculty would collaborate on writing the NSF RET Supplement, identifying appropriate research projects in their lab for teachers, identifying a day-to-day research partner (grad student, research assistant, or faculty themselves) for the teacher, and mentoring teachers in their research activities.

If you're interested in exploring this opportunity further, please contact SEPAL Director Kimberly Tanner at kdtanner@sfsu.edu or 405-3438.