Dartmouth GK-12 Project:
Fostering Scientific Creativity by Building Connections and Improving Science Communication Skills

Dartmouth GK-12 Project

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Overview

The Dartmouth GK-12 Project provides funding and support for graduate students in science, engineering, and mathematics at Dartmouth College to work with local middle school teachers (grades 6-9) to develop inquiry-based activities designed to increase students' understanding of and interest in science. Graduate Fellows and Partner Teachers collaborate to develop or improve science lessons that incorporate strategies shown to foster creativity and communication. Graduate Fellows receive training related to teaching, learning, communication, assessment, and creativity throughout the year. Graduate Fellows will have opportunities to teach middle school students and will be mentored by their Partner Teachers as well as GK-12 Program Staff. One goal of the project is to foster long-term partnerships with teachers in the region.

Project Goals and Objectives

With support from each of the eight STEM disciplines at Dartmouth and many other offices on campus, this project seeks to integrate existing resources into sustainable initiatives that expand the professional development of graduate students, build Dartmouth’s capacity to translate research to broad audiences, and enhance STEM teaching at the college and middle school levels. Through this program,

• Graduate Fellows will gain a more contextualized and nuanced understanding of their research and improve their scientific creativity by learning to view their work from alternative perspectives;
• Graduate Fellows will improve their communication skills through interactions with diverse audiences;
• Partner Teachers will gain awareness of current trends in their STEM and have opportunities for professional development;
• Partner Teachers will have access to resources at Dartmouth College (e.g., Murdough Greenhouse, Shattuck Observatory, and Dartmouth Libraries) and opportunities to develop ongoing relationships with researchers at Dartmouth College;
• Middle school students’ learning of and attitudes toward STEM will improve by working with role models on lessons that emphasize the creative process of science; and
• Graduate education at Dartmouth will be transformed to make participation in these opportunities an integral part of graduate student training.

Who May Apply

Any Dartmouth graduate student in the Biological Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Computer science, Mathematics, Psychological and Brain Sciences and Chemistry who will be entering at least their second year of graduate study during the 2012-2013 academic year is eligible to apply. Applicants must be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.