The first Michigan State University students to complete Michigan’s new math and science teaching fellowship — the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship— have all landed full-time jobs this school year. They are teaching biology, chemistry or math in high-need areas across the state, such as Detroit and Grand Rapids.
Fellows in the alternative teacher certification program at MSU are recent college graduates and career-changers who have academic preparation or experience in the mathematics and science fields. They take graduate-level coursework, complete a yearlong urban residency (internship) and commit to teach in an urban school district for three years.
The next (third) cohort is now being recruited, with applications due by Feb. 15. Classes at MSU — one of six Michigan universities to offer the Fellowship — begin in May 2013.
UPDATE: Interested applicants can participate in a Recruitment Information Webinar at 5 p.m. Dec. 10. To join, follow the instructions online: https://teachingfellowships.webex.com/teachingfellowships/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=662768112
Or, you can call (650) 479-3208. The access code is 662 768 112.
“If you really want to teach, the fellowship is definitely worth it,” said graduate Greg Smith, who is now teaching biology at Early College of Excellence, a part of Detroit Edison Public School Academy. “Walking into this school, I knew I was ready. And the small cohort is great because we really lean on each other, sharing lesson plans and advice.”
The other graduates of the first cohort and their current teaching jobs include:
- Juliana Carter – Biology, Godwin Heights High School, Wyoming
- Benjamin Garlets – Math and Biology, Lighthouse Academy, Grand Rapids
- Richard Schneeberger – Biology, Osborne Evergreen Academy of Design and Alternative Energy, Detroit
- Ann Schultz – Biology, Detroit Institute of Technology at Cody High School, Detroit
- William Seniura – Math, Lighthouse Academy, Grand Rapids
- Matthew Sheick – Biology, Forest Area High School, Fife Lake
- Stephen Stauffer – Chemistry, Detroit Community Schools, Detroit
- Ian Zang – Biology and Chemistry, Kensington Woods High School, Brighton
Along with achieving certification as teachers, Fellows continue taking courses to complete a master’s degree and receive support through workshops and mentoring during their first three years on the job. Each student also receives a $30,000 stipend.
MSU Program director Gail Richmond says locations for the urban residency next fall will be in Detroit, Jackson and Lansing.
Applicants apply via the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, and select which of the six participating institutions they would prefer to attend. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has provided funding for the program in Michigan.