GK-12 Fellows Linking Marine and Wetland Research with Science Education in Coastal South Carolina Schools

Coastal Carolina University, Conway SC

Investigators

Abstract

GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS IN K-12 EDUCATION ABSTRACT Proposal #: 0742419 PI: Craig Gilman Institution: Coastal Carolina University Title: GK-12 Fellows Linking Marine and Wetland Research with Science Education in Coastal South Carolina Schools Using the theme of Coastal Marine and Wetland Studies (CMWS), the GK-12 project at Coastal Carolina will support 6-8 Fellows each year who will work one-on-one with grade 6-12 teachers in the Coastal Carolina schools. The program will partner with the Horry County School District in South Carolina and accept teachers from any of the ten middle or nine high schools in the county. Horry County is the largest county in S. C. It is both suburban and rural. The program encompasses the foundational STEM disciplines of biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and mathematics, as well as specialized disciplines such as marine science and environmental science. The GK-12 program at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) will team GK-12 Fellows from the CMWS graduate program with cooperating teachers to build STEM-related partnerships between the university and local schools and to enhance the educational programs and experiences for students at the middle school, high school, and university level. The fellows, who all conduct field-based research in the multidisciplinary fields of coastal and wetland science, will bring an interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum of local middle and high school science classrooms. Broader impacts include increasing interest and learning in STEM disciplines by historically underrepresented students in South Carolina, and to provide these diverse students with role models and mentors. Teachers will increase their content knowledge in various STEM disciplines and inquiry-based activities will be disseminated through the Horry County science curricula.