Local teacher selected for prestigious fellowship

Mitchell High School teacher Julie Olson has been selected for a prestigious fellowship.

The Society for Science & the Public (SSP) announced Wednesday the selection of the 2011 class of the SSP Fellowship. Ten teachers will join 20 active fellows from the classes of 2010 and 2009. The 2011 fellows are from across the United States and were named for their unique plans to reach students in underserved communities and to inspire excellence in independent scientific research.

Competitively selected from a large entrant pool of high school science and math teachers from 42 states and American Samoa, each fellow will receive: $8,500 in 2011 directly for their classroom and community; full support to attend the Fellows Institute to be held July 25–29 in Washington, D.C.; and ongoing training and resources from SSP.

Successful participants can retain their fellowship for up to four years to ensure that promising students can pursue independent research through their high school years.

The 2011 class of Fellows includes teachers selected from rural and urban areas, large and small communities, and schools that serve under-resourced communities. They are:

* Chris Todd Campbell, Simsboro High School, Ruston, La.

* Joyce Corriere, Hampton High School, Hampton, Va.

* Donna Donnelly, New Century Technology High School, Huntsville, Ala.

* Dominique Evans-Bye, Clark High School, La Crescenta, Calif.

* Mario Alberto Godoy-Gonzalez, Royal High School, Royal City, Wash.

* Travis Hartberger, McKinley Technology High School, Washington, D.C.

* Kathryn Hedges, Hammond High School, Hammond, Ind.

* Julie Olson, Mitchell Senior High School, Mitchell.

* Patricia Morris, Strom Thurmond High School, Johnston, S.D.

* Jonathon Wetherington, Brookwood High School, Suwanee, Ga.

“SSP is proud to announce the 2011 Fellows and to offer resources and training to communities where independent research can be out of reach,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of SSP. “Independent research projects give students the flexibility to explore their world and encourage the inquiry cycle. In offering these opportunities to their students, these teachers will enable a broad representation of our brightest students to fully explore their intelligence and creativity and apply them to finding solutions for our global challenges.”

Through a grant from Intel, the SSP Fellowship provides funds and training to selected U.S. science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students, and to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality, independent scientific research. The program began with its first class in 2009. SSP Fellows design independent research programs to be implemented in their schools and help their students to develop a strong network of scientific mentors.

The Fellows Institute provides intensive training to teachers and enables each Fellow to earn graduate level credit for their work.

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