Information for Teachers
All positions for the 2021-2022 BUILDERS Academy have been filled.
What is the Tuskegee BUILDERS Academy?
Tuskegee University, Oakland University (MI), the Macon County School District and the Phenix City Public Schools are collaborating on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop, implement and evaluate a rigorous 3-week summer program (called the BUILDERS Academy) for rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders enrolled at the Macon and Phenix City school systems focusing on building skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This $900,000 project called “Building Unique Inventions to Launch Discoveries, Engagement and Reasoning in STEM (BUILDERS)” will recruit 25 students (Scholars) from the target grades each of the next three years in each district and will immerse them in far-reaching STEM experiences through collaborative, interdisciplinary activities to discover the technology that drives various products of potential impact to their communities.
With mentorship and support from participating teachers and project faculty members, Scholars at the Academy will work in teams to identify a problem that is affecting their communities and bring together their STEM knowledge to make prototypes of products that have the potential to serve as solutions to the problems they identified. By way of this “Learning STEM through Making” approach, students will gain a better appreciation and understanding of how STEM concepts, which are typically taught to them in isolation from each other in compartmentalized courses in high school, can actually be made to interact with one another to make products for the betterment of society. The STEM concepts that Scholars will learn at the Academy through the “Learning through Making” approach will be selected from the Alabama Course of Study for Math and Science so as to maximize the benefits of the program to the Scholars.
The Academy will create a work environment similar to that found in the STEM workforce. Much like STEM professionals in industry settings, this environment will lead to Scholars gaining critically important peripheral STEM-related experiences, including: (1) Discovering how STEM concepts come together to make a product that solves a problem; (2) Developing teamwork skills; (3) Acquiring leadership skills; (4) Designating tasks; (5) Working collaboratively using cloud-computing; and, (6) Learning best practices in the use of technology. These activities and practices are commonly advocated in American STEM businesses and industries. Thus, the Scholars will think, collaborate and discover like STEM professionals do when collaboratively working on a project. Increased levels of knowledge, interest and motivation for STEM among Scholars are expected as a result of Academy activities.
Goals of the BUILDERS Program:
Eligibility:
Academy Benefits:
The BUILDERS program is designed to provide teachers with innovative strategies to teach challenging STEM concepts and do so in a fun and engaging manner. Potential benefits to teachers include:
Expectations of teachers:
Financial Incentives for Teachers
Each teacher will be eligible to receive up to $3,500 for meeting project expectations and completing the designated activities. Payments will be made as follows at $100 per teacher per full Professional Development day:
What is the Tuskegee BUILDERS Academy?
Tuskegee University, Oakland University (MI), the Macon County School District and the Phenix City Public Schools are collaborating on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop, implement and evaluate a rigorous 3-week summer program (called the BUILDERS Academy) for rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders enrolled at the Macon and Phenix City school systems focusing on building skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This $900,000 project called “Building Unique Inventions to Launch Discoveries, Engagement and Reasoning in STEM (BUILDERS)” will recruit 25 students (Scholars) from the target grades each of the next three years in each district and will immerse them in far-reaching STEM experiences through collaborative, interdisciplinary activities to discover the technology that drives various products of potential impact to their communities.
With mentorship and support from participating teachers and project faculty members, Scholars at the Academy will work in teams to identify a problem that is affecting their communities and bring together their STEM knowledge to make prototypes of products that have the potential to serve as solutions to the problems they identified. By way of this “Learning STEM through Making” approach, students will gain a better appreciation and understanding of how STEM concepts, which are typically taught to them in isolation from each other in compartmentalized courses in high school, can actually be made to interact with one another to make products for the betterment of society. The STEM concepts that Scholars will learn at the Academy through the “Learning through Making” approach will be selected from the Alabama Course of Study for Math and Science so as to maximize the benefits of the program to the Scholars.
The Academy will create a work environment similar to that found in the STEM workforce. Much like STEM professionals in industry settings, this environment will lead to Scholars gaining critically important peripheral STEM-related experiences, including: (1) Discovering how STEM concepts come together to make a product that solves a problem; (2) Developing teamwork skills; (3) Acquiring leadership skills; (4) Designating tasks; (5) Working collaboratively using cloud-computing; and, (6) Learning best practices in the use of technology. These activities and practices are commonly advocated in American STEM businesses and industries. Thus, the Scholars will think, collaborate and discover like STEM professionals do when collaboratively working on a project. Increased levels of knowledge, interest and motivation for STEM among Scholars are expected as a result of Academy activities.
Goals of the BUILDERS Program:
- To provide 50 students annually with technology-rich, interdisciplinary experiences through the “Learning STEM through Making” approach in order to develop the STEM knowledge and practices, critical thinking, reasoning skills, and communication skills needed for studies in STEM.
- To use the ITEST partnership with the Tuskegee University Engineering Alumni Association (TUEAA) to foster Scholars’ awareness of the full spectrum of STEM-related occupations, from technicians and mid-level STEM specialists to scientists, technologists, engineers, mathematicians, and to chart pathways for Scholars to these professions.
- To assess the interventions and outcomes and determine which components individually or synergistically contribute to foster and strengthen Scholars’ interest in STEM, as well as teachers’ interest in using innovative strategies to foster student interest in STEM.
Eligibility:
- Be a certified Math or Science teacher.
- Be currently on faculty at a high school in the Macon County or Phenix City School Districts.
Academy Benefits:
The BUILDERS program is designed to provide teachers with innovative strategies to teach challenging STEM concepts and do so in a fun and engaging manner. Potential benefits to teachers include:
- Learning how to incorporate in their classes novel teaching tools through the use of makerspaces
- Learning how to make STEM more than a buzzword to inspire students to discover STEM and link it to their daily experience
- Learning new ways to interact with students and student groups
- Gaining experiences that will be consistent with Next Generation Science Standards (claim-evidence-reasoning).
- Participation in the training workshops and the Academy will lead to Professional Development Credits.
Expectations of teachers:
- Attend each day of the BUILDERS Academy, June 14 – July 2, 2021.
- With assistance of faculty mentors, implement Academy activities.
- Identify Math and Science concepts from the Alabama Courses of Study that can be taught during the regular school year using resources and techniques used at the Academy.
- Prepare lesson plans publishable on the Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) and infuse them in the classroom during the regular school year to teach the identified concepts. The idea is to impact students beyond those that participate in the BUILDERS Academy. Teachers will receive full support from participating Tuskegee University faculty in the preparation of lesson plans and their subsequent implementation in the classrooms. Supplies will be provided to the teachers to implement the makerspace projects.
- Participate two planning workshops at Tuskegee University to be held in April (teachers only, date TBA based on teacher availability), 9:00 am – 2:30 pm.
- Maintain a journal consisting of daily reflections.
- Assist Scholars in the dissemination of their prototypes at local events, such as the Science and Technology Open House at Tuskegee University.
Financial Incentives for Teachers
Each teacher will be eligible to receive up to $3,500 for meeting project expectations and completing the designated activities. Payments will be made as follows at $100 per teacher per full Professional Development day:
- An initial payment of $1,500 will be made at the completion of the Academy.
- A payment of $1,000 will be made at the end of the Fall 2018 semester and another payment of $1,000 will be made at the end of the Spring 2019 semester.
- All travel (mileage and meals) will be covered by the project during the planning workshops and Academy. Travel will be paid according to Federal Government travel policy.
