In 1999 the National Science Foundation began funding Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12). This program places graduate and advanced undergraduate students into K-12 schools as a part of their training in science. At SJU, this program involves Fellows in developing and teaching hands-on science in K-6 Philadelphia classrooms. Each year 4-6 M.S. students and two undergraduate juniors or seniors are selected for Fellowships. Graduate LINKS Fellows receive 10-month stipends of $18,000 and a full tuition scholarship. Graduate NSF GK-12 Fellows receive 12-month stipends of $30,000, and their graduate tuition is paid by the grant. Generally, only second year graduate students are competitive for the NSF funding. Undergraduate Fellows receive summer stipends of $5000, in addition to free University housing, and during the academic year they can also be paid up to $5000. To be eligible for the Fellowships, students must be involved in research in Biology or Environmental Science with a participating faculty member. Graduate Fellows must be accepted into the Biology Department Graduate Program. All NSF GK-12 Fellows must be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

The SJU GK-12 and LINKS program involves a partnership with the Wagner Free Institute of Science (WFIS) as well as the School District of Philadelphia. Fellows will work with WFIS children’s educators and elementary school teachers to develop and present science lessons to children in grades 1-6. The lessons are organized into semester-long units, generally with Environmental Science themes. Fellows and their SJU faculty mentors serve as content resources for the WFIS educators and the public school teachers, and they are role models and teachers for the children. WFIS educators and public school teachers help Fellows become familiar with pedagogical methods in K-6 education and with the special educational needs of urban minority children. The proposal abstract provides more details of the program. No prior experience with K-6 education is required, but reliability, flexibility, and a willingness to work as part of a multidisciplinary, multicultural team are necessary.

Fellows receive training during a weeklong workshop in August, and they are also involved in training sessions throughout the academic year. They meet weekly with the GK-12 director and at some meetings will be expected to lead discussions on topics relevant to their GK-12 activities. Fellows prepare documentation of lessons presented, develop instructional materials, and participate in ongoing assessment activities of the program. GK-12 guidelines require that Fellows spend at least 15 hours per week on their GK-12 duties, with at least 10 hrs in the classroom. For graduate Fellows, these duties replace the lab preparation and teaching duties normally performed as a part of paid assistantships.

We are currently accepting applications from Prospective Graduate LINKS Fellows
Prospective Fellows must fill out a Graduate Application Form.
They must also complete the LINKS Graduate Application Form.
(Both are available as downloadable PDF files.)

For the 2008-2009 academic year, the application deadline is March 14.
For additional information contact Mariana Morris.

Prospective Undergraduate Fellows
They must complete the GK-12 Undergraduate Application Form.

For additional information on applying for undergraduate fellowships, please contact Mariana Morris.