Teacher Academy
Grow STEM in your classroom
Bring the best in STEM learning to your classroom with the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) Teacher Academy. This new program will take educators deep into STEM best practices.
Over a year-long cohort experience, participants will hone their confidence and ability to:Â
- Build a strong STEM culture and identity inside the classroom
- Embed design thinking in everyday instruction
- Leverage authentic problem-based learning units to enhance student engagementÂ
- Strengthen community partnerships to connect learning to local needs
Who is this program for?
This program is open to current full-time teachers in Ohio in any subject area (including electives).
Whether you are new to the STEM learning spark or looking to expand on STEM elements already implemented in your classroom, the OSLN Teacher Academy can help you do more.
Core topics
- Understanding your classroom’s STEM culture and identity
- Fostering a culture of collaboration, communication, accountability, and inquiry in your classroom
- Incorporating design thinking into classroom instruction
- Overcoming barriers to design thinking curriculum
- Ensuring problem-based learning creates authentic experiences
- Facilitating place-based learning
- Managing community partners for maximum classroom impact
Summer externship
The OSLN Teacher Academy includes an industry externship opportunity. Teachers will be offered the opportunity to engage in a two-day externship with a local business or manufacturer within their community.
During this experience, teachers will immerse inside a business to observe, and learn. Participants will gather information about the inner workings of STEM in the real-world.
Through the externship, teachers will answer key questions including:Â
- How could inner workings of this industry apply to classroom experiences?
- What authentic problems faced by this industry work for student-driven design challenges?Â
- What careers are available locally to students?
Partner industries will be selected on location and proximity to the schools participating in the program. Every effort will be made to find a host industry within the community in which the cohort member teaches.
An $800 stipend will be offered to offset the cost of time/travel to participants who complete an externship and all of the program’s requirements.
Program details
Priority deadline is April 14, 2023
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Teach at a school in the State of Ohio
- Provide direct full-time instruction to students in grades K-12 (Note: This program is open to all content areas including electives)
- Upon acceptance, ensure delivery of a commitment form signed by the school’s principal supporting the applicant’s participation in the Teacher Academy
Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to apply to this program with a partner teacher from the same school or district.
Commitments
Thanks to Ohio’s generous support of the Ohio STEM Learning Network, the $1,600 program fee for the 2023-2024 Teacher Academy is waived.
The program expectations include:
- Attend all program meetings, both virtual and in-person. (See schedule)
- Complete all program tasks and activities.
- Implement strategies learned with their classes during the 2023-2024 school year.
- Complete a W-9 form upon acceptance for payment of externship stipend.
Deadlines
The priority deadline is April 14, 2023. If the cohort fills by this time, a waitlist will be created. Applications will close completely on May 1, 2023.Â
Selected participants will be notified by May 10, 2023.
Schedule
- June 12-June 15, 2023: In-person workshop on in Columbus (full-day)
- Before externship: Asynchronous half-day learning session
- June – August 2023: Optional two-day business externship experience
- August 15 or 29, September 26, October 24, January 9: Virtual booster calls (2 hours)
- November 14, 2023: In-person workshop in Columbus (full-day)
- February 8, 2024: Virtual workshop (full-day)
- April 19, 2024: Final in-person meeting in Columbus (full-day)