North Branch science teacher selected for fellowship

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all, in collaboration with The Dow Chemical Company, the Amgen Foundation; Astellas Pharma US, Inc.; the American Honda Foundation; the Bayer USA Foundation; and Lockheed Martin, announced that eight out of the 244 science teachers chosen as Fellows in the 2012-2013 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy are from Minnesota. Selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide, the Fellows will participate in a year-long professional development program designed to help promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence and improve teacher content knowledge. MaryJo Hess, North Branch Area Middle School, is one of those participating. “We are thrilled to provide these teachers with the resources and support needed to help them feel confident and passionate about the critical work they do in inspiring today’s youth to become tomorrow’s leading STEM professionals,” said Gerry Wheeler, interim executive director, NSTA. For this academic year, The Dow Chemical Company, the primary sponsor of the program, will fund the participation of 195 science teachers as Dow-NSTA Fellows. The American Honda Foundation will support three science teachers as Honda-NSTA Fellows and the Amgen Foundation will support 11 science teachers as Amgen-NSTA Fellows. Astellas Pharma US, Inc. will support 14 science teachers primarily from the Chicago area as Astellas-NSTA Fellows and the Bayer USA Foundation will sponsor six science teachers as Bayer-NSTA Fellows. The remaining 15 science teachers will be supported by Lockheed Martin and named Lockheed Martin-NSTA Fellows. Launched during the spring of 2007, the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, co-founded with a grant from the Amgen Foundation, was established to help reduce the high attrition rate in the science teaching profession by providing professional development and mentoring support to early-career science teachers. Since its inception, the Academy has provided high-quality professional development to more than 800 science teachers nationwide. For a list of the 2012-2013 Fellows or to learn more about the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, please visit www.nsta.org/academy.