MISSION STATEMENT
NSF GK-12 PROGRAM
Innovating Graduate and K-12 Education in Biological Sciences
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation through NSF Grant DGE-0638751
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Dr. Luis M. Mota-Bravo, Director of Outreach, Research Training, and Minority Science Programs (MSP), School of Biological Sciences
Dr. R. Michael Mulligan, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Developmental and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The GK-12 Program at the UCI School of Biological Sciences is designed to bring innovation to graduate and K-12 education by integrating investigation and experimentation conducted by UCI faculty and graduate students with teaching of Biology/Life Sciences in grades 7th-12th at partner schools in Santa Ana, Montebello and Westside of Newport-Mesa Unified School Districts.
GK-12 graduate students will improve communication, teaching and team-building skills as they act as partners and mentors and incorporate their own research to support and serve as resources for teachers to enrich learning for K-12 students in minority-serving schools, in accordance with the California Science Content Standards for Grade Seven Life Science, Grades Nine through Twelve Biology/Life Sciences and Grades Nine through Twelve Investigation and Experimentation.
The project's components include summer institutes and monthly workshops that focus on curriculum development, especially the implementation of new laboratories and activities. In addition, teacher professional development through exposure to University research programs with new technologies and scientific advancement is included with faculty graduate student lectures.
Faculty, graduate students and teachers prepare inquiry-based lessons and laboratories to be presented to 7th-12th grade students, practical experience (10 hrs/wk) for graduate students in teaching these lessons and laboratory activities, presentations by graduate students about their research, the development of a GK-12 manual on teaching practices, a handbook on mentoring and a web-based repository to disseminate practices, lessons and laboratories developed by graduate students and teachers. In addition, an annual symposium gives the graduate students an opportunity to present their experiences and developed materials.
