"I have been able to bring more real work significance and references to my teaching. I have more knowledge about how the industry works, which allows me to use it as a reference to STEM related concepts and make real world connections."
-- Teacher
Accomplished link
Our vision is to enroll 10 -15 new Master’s teachers and 15 -20 professional development teachers each year, so each summer 50-75 teachers experience high-quality STEM work experiences in their local communities. Our participants increase in their knowledge and implementation of 21st century skills and their students have increased knowledge and interest in STEM careers.
Teachers in Industry depends on our corporate partners to provide 6-8 week summer work opportunities for our teachers at industry wages. We also depend on corporate funding for tuition support for teachers in the MA program: the total tuition for one teacher for all 3 years of the program (estimated based on 5% tuition increases per year) is: $24,779.
Funders and PartnersTeachers in Industry is a partnership between the University of Arizona Colleges of Education and Science; Tucson Values Teachers, a regional business initiative focused on retaining, recruiting and rewarding K-12 teachers; Southern Arizona Leadership Council, an organization of business leaders committed to improving the economic climate and the quality of life in our community; and numerous industry partners who hire the teachers as temporary summer employees. Examples of current industry partners include Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson Electric Power, the Salt River Project, Arizona Public Service and Texas Instruments. A complete list of companies who participated in summer 2014 is provided on our website. Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz), a public-private partnership that supports STEM education, provided the funding for Teachers in Industry for the first four years and is continuing to support the program by promoting us to schools throughout the state and encouraging businesses in areas new to Teachers in Industry to participate. We are currently funded through the 100Kin10 initiative by the Freeport McMoRan Foundation.
The programs in this database clear a high bar. STEMworks reviewed each program against the Design Principles for Effective STEM Philanthropy.
Identify and target a compelling and well-defined need.
Use rigorous evaluation to continuously measure and inform progress towards the compelling need identified.
Ensure work is sustainable.
Demonstrate replicability and scalability.
Create high impact partnerships
Ensure organizational capacity to achieve goals.
Offer challenging and relevant STEM content for the target audience
Incorporate and encourage STEM practices.
Inspire interest and engagement in STEM.
Identify and address the needs of under-represented groups.