$1.19 Million Grant Awarded to Promote Science Teacher Leadership
Dobbs Ferry, New York (PRWEB) May 02, 2014 -- Mercy College is excited to team up with University of Massachusetts at Boston and Montclair State University in New Jersey to become the Greater New York partner of the Wipro Science Education Fellowship. Dr. Amanda Gunning and Dr. Meghan Marrero, of the Mercy College School of Education, were awarded the $1.19 million grant to lead the Greater New York Wipro Science Education Fellowship (SEF).
Wipro is an international information technology company that is based in India serving more than 61 countries. Because of their extensive work in the United States, they sought to fund science education innovation projects here. Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft of the University of Massachusetts originally earned their funding to run the SEF in a one-year program with Boston teachers. It has now grown to a two-year program in three states.
Gunning said: “We are thrilled to work with teachers who have a commitment to their districts and want to do the work to grow and become teacher leaders in science.”
Marrero said: The Wipro SEF is an amazing opportunity for Mercy College to support our local districts and improve science teaching and learning from within.”
The SEF supports three cohorts of 20 science teacher fellows from five local districts during a two-year fellowship that focuses on leadership in science education. The goal is to keep good teachers in the classroom and develop their leadership skills in the classroom as opposed to putting them in administrative roles. Major tenets of the professional development include vertical and horizontal articulation across districts and lesson observation and study. In year two, each fellow will lead professional development in their own district and work on a district-wide initiative of his or her choosing. This program has met success in its implementation thus far in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Gunning and Marrero completed the district selection process this spring, with the help of an advisory committee: Drs. Nancy Heilbronner, Mary Lou Pagano and Zoila Tazi. Districts who will participate in the five-year initiative are: East Ramapo Central School District, City School District of New Rochelle, Port Chester-Rye United Free School District, Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and White Plains Central School District.
Fellow applications will be due May 1, with selection anticipated in early June.
About Mercy College
Founded in 1950, Mercy College is a private, not-for-profit higher education institution that offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five prestigious schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Mercy College offers an engaging and personalized learning experience that includes the College’s revolutionary Personalized Achievement Contract (PACT) program. The Mercy College PACT is the first program of its kind and now serves as a nationally recognized model for mentoring. http://www.mercy.edu/ 877-MERCY-GO.
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Catherine Cioffi, Mercy College, +1 (914) 674-7736, [email protected]
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