MOORESTOWN, N.J., April 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) is now accepting applications for its Teaching Fellows Program. The KSTF Teaching Fellows Program—a comprehensive, five-year professional development program—is designed to support early-career secondary science and mathematics teachers, as they develop into master teachers who lead from the classroom. The deadline to apply for a 2016 KSTF Teaching Fellowship is 11:59 p.m. PST on Nov. 1, 2015.
KSTF Fellows join a nationwide network of nearly 300 teachers in 42 states. In addition to gaining membership in a community of like-minded peers, Fellows have access to a wealth of other benefits, including stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials, support from a staff of experienced teachers and teacher educators, and opportunities for mentoring and leadership. Over the course of the five-year Fellowship, KSTF invests approximately $150,000 in each Fellow.
"Teachers are uniquely equipped to improve education from the ground up, by starting with students in the classroom," stated Nicole Gillespie, Executive Director, KSTF. "Since selecting our inaugural cohort of Teaching Fellows in 2002, the KSTF Teaching Fellows Program has been optimized to support the growth and development of beginning teachers to improve math and science education in their classrooms and beyond. From developing and studying innovative learning opportunities for students to advocating for equity in the nation's schools to mentoring new teachers, KSTF Fellows are leaders within the profession."
Annually, KSTF awards approximately 35 Teaching Fellowships. Fellowships are awarded based on the following selection criteria:
- the potential to develop the content knowledge needed for teaching,
- the potential to develop exemplary teaching practices, and
- the potential to develop the qualities of a teacher leader.
"Being part of the KSTF community has played a key role in my growth as a professional teacher," stated Rachel Clausen, 2010 KSTF Teaching Fellow. "As a Fellow, I've seen countless different examples of outstanding leading teachers. More importantly, I get to talk with them candidly about what makes them successful, and how they deal with failure too. This community inspires me to be better, each and every day."
KSTF recently selected 34 beginning teachers—including two City Year alumni, a U.S. Space & Rocket Center crew trainer, a wilderness trip leader and two former engineers—to join its 2015 Cohort of Teaching Fellows. A biographical sketch of each new Fellow will be available at www.kstf.org in the near future.
About KSTF
The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) was established by Janet H. and C. Harry Knowles in 1999 to increase the number of high quality high school science and mathematics teachers and ultimately, improve math and science education in the United States. The KSTF Teaching Fellowship, the Foundation's signature program, awards exceptional young men and women with a five-year early-career Fellowship, empowering them to become master teachers and leaders in education. For more information, visit www.kstf.org.