DNA barcoding using local wildflowers; proficiency in aseptic technique; applying scientific inquiry methods through forensics and criminal investigation; and reinforcing basic protein concepts through a board game are just a few of the student-centered projects that have been tested and developed by ABE Master Teacher Fellows (MTFs). Supplied with a stipend, protected time to meet, access to subject matter experts, and a diverse international community of other ABE teachers, ABE Fellows have led the way in creating innovative new experiences for students around the globe.
Initially designed to show appreciation to experienced ABE teachers who were interested in developing a personal curriculum idea, the Fellowship has become something of a “think tank” where new ideas can simmer and grow as teachers talk and share ideas with one another. Projects now encompass not only classroom activities, but professional learning supports, learning pathways on LabXchange, and adapted curriculum guides for districts.
her project The Protein Game at the Science
on Stage festival in Finland in 2024
Two years ago, the program was expanded to support competitive mini-grants that allow graduated Fellows to continue to deepen and scale their projects, in some cases taking them to other sites for co-development and dissemination. Mini-grants are only available to graduated Fellows, and are selected each September. Master Teacher Fellow Julie Pankowicz (ABE Rhode Island, 2023), a mini-grant recipient who took her students to local colleges to engage in their postsecondary programs, explains that “I can’t think of a better way to show that your mini grant has truly made an impact on kids than to hear from my former high school Biotech students. It is imperative to keep getting these kids out of the classroom, and the mini-grant helped me provide the means to do so.”
Fellows also report feeling that they feel valued and perceived as leaders when selected for the Fellowship and mini-grant programs. Master Teacher Fellow Gilda Nappo (ABE Italy, 2024) says, “Before the Master Teacher Fellowship, I would have said I am not interested in being a leader ... but now I understand there are different kinds of leadership, and maybe I can find my way to become a leader.” And with hundreds of downloads for various MTF projects, there is no doubt ABE Fellows are leaders within and beyond the ABE community.
Learn more about the ABE Master Teacher Fellowship.