Also, find out about Volunteer Scientist-in-the-Classroom Partnerships
The Scientist–in-the-Classroom Partnership Program, previously the National Science Foundation GK-12 Graduate Teaching Fellows Program, began serving Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools on June 1, 2006. The Scientist-in-the-Classroom Partnership (SCP) Program is a partnership between four educational institutions of higher learning, all within a five-mile radius of each other in Nashville, Tennessee. In collaboration with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the participating institutions include Vanderbilt University, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College and Tennessee State University.
The primary purpose of the Scientist-in-the-Classroom Partnership Program is to partner science teaching fellows (STFs) with Nashville middle school science teachers. The STFs are graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the sciences, who collaborate with education professionals in middle school science classrooms one day a week throughout the school year. STFs focus on working with teacher partners to develop and implement hands-on, inquiry-based activities, providing classroom demonstrations, assisting with tutoring students and directing student research projects. The Scientist-in-the-Classroom Partnership Program is a partnership that benefits fellows, teachers, and students.
The 2009-'10 school year brings together nine Metropolitan Nashville Public School teachers and nine science teaching fellows in a collaborative effort to improve science instruction and provide opportunities for middle school students to work with scientists. The current cadre of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows represents scientific research in cell and developmental biology, physics and astronomy, biology, chemistry, analytical chemistry, animal science, and materials science and engineering.
Presently participating schools include:
- Antioch Middle School,
- Bellevue Middle School,
- Croft Middle School,
- Goodlettsville Middle School,
- Head Middle Math and Science Magnet,
- John F. Kennedy Middle School,
- McMurray Middle School, and
- Thurgood Marshall Middle School.
In addition, the Scientist-in-the-Classroom Partnership expands its focus during the 2009-2010 school year to bring current geographic information systems (GIS) technology into the MNPS high schools. Through the Vanderbilt Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Science Teaching Fellow, Dr. Janey Camp works to incorporate GIS technologies into the curriculum of the STEM academies at Glencliff High School and Overton High School.
