The University of Alabama’s Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site, titled Engaging and Training Alabama STEM Teachers in Sensing Technologies offers a 7-week, summer professional development program for 10 middle school science and math teachers (grades 5 to 9) from west central Alabama. Participants will receive $8,000 and engage in hands-on research guided by faculty mentors from the College of Engineering.
The available research projects focus on using sensing and measurement technologies for both physiological and environmental monitoring. This theme highlights the importance of measuring and analyzing physical properties of materials, devices, tissues, and the environment—key aspects of many engineering research questions
In addition to research, participants will attend weekly workshops to broaden their understanding of engineering and programming while gaining resources to incorporate their research experiences into their classroom curricula. Teachers who complete the program will be eligible to spend up to $2,000 for materials and supplies to implement these activities in their schools.
After the program, teachers will join a community of practice to collaborate, share ideas, and receive ongoing support from the RET team. This community will help participants apply their newly developed lessons and integrate insights from the program into their teaching practices.
Important Dates:
- Application Deadline: March 14, 2025
- Notification Deadline: April 11, 2025
- Tentative Program Dates: June 9 to July 25
Contacts
For more information about this program, contact the following site coordinators:
Application:
We are currently recruiting a new group of 10 teachers to join us for this summer! To be considered for this year, complete the online application by the program deadline for full consideration. To ensure a meaningful research experience, priority will be given to teachers who can fully commit to all 7 weeks of the program. Participants must not have other professional development or summer activities that conflict with daily attendance.
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants must:
- U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States
- Currently teach STEM in grades 5-9 in the west central Alabama area
- Have completed at least 2 full years of teaching with commitment to teach for at least the next 3 years
Professional Development Activities:
During the program, teachers will:
- Contribute to engineering research projects focused on physiological or environment sensing working with faculty and graduate students in the College of Engineering
- Attend weekly professional development workshops on engineering, sensors/programming, and education/curriculum
- Participate in weekly peer share sessions with the teacher cohort
- Develop or revise lessons/activities for your classroom that incorporate engineering thinking/concepts
- Demonstrate their educational activities to the teacher cohort
- Present research results at an end of summer poster symposium
Financial Support
Participating teachers will receive:
- $8000 stipend for full participation in the programs 7-weeks (stipends will be pro-rated based on attendance and participation)
- $2000 for materials/supplies to support using your developed lessons
- Paid on-campus housing for up to 2 teachers who have to commute long-distance ( > 60 miles) to campus
Expectations:
Participant must:
- Commit 35 hours per week (roughly 9AM to 4PM) to on-campus activities during the programs 7-weeks
- Attend all professional development workshops and seminars during summer
- Develop new (or revise existing) lessons/activities for your classroom that use engineering thinking/concepts
- Commit to launch their educational activities in their classrooms within 1 year of the program and coordinate visit to classroom by faculty mentor