Applicant Information
Who are the Dow Innovation Teacher Fellows?
Fifteen to twenty middle and high school teachers from Arenac, Bay, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, or Saginaw counties will be selected as fellows each year. Interdisciplinary teaching teams of 2-3 are strongly encouraged to apply to carry out their proposed work together. To read more about eligibility, click here.
What is the Fellowship experience?
Participate in 24 hours of professional development and curriculum design on project and place-based learning.
Connect with a community partner (e.g., a business, non-profit, government agency, neighbors, etc.) around a water, food, or plastic waste problem.
Design and implement a learning unit of at least one week in length on a sustainability problem with support from content and pedagogy experts from Dow, the University of Michigan, and Delta College.
What are the expectations of the Dow Innovation Teacher Fellowship?
Participate in a 3-week virtual learning module that will begin August 3rd and will incorporate asynchronous and synchronous learning activities. The time commitment for the module will be 5-6 hours per week. Live discussions will take place on August 5th, 12th and 19th.
Fellows will be expected to commit to being periodically engaged throughout the school year via virtual and in-person formats (as public health guidelines allow).
Develop, implement, and share a project and place-based instructional unit during the 2020-21 school year around a local sustainability issue. This unit can vary in length but should engage students for at least one week's worth of lessons, connect them with a local partner, engage them in spaces outside the classroom, and result in a publicly shared presentation of an action project to help address the sustainability issue.
Document the implementation of the unit, collect artifacts (video, photos, student work) with appropriate student consents and releases, and share with other teachers and project participants.
Participate in check-in meetings scheduled with University of Michigan project staff to provide updates on progress and to request support as needed.
What will Dow Innovation Teacher Fellows receive?
Professional development and design support from a curriculum developer to aid in the development of instructional materials
A stipend of $2,000
Up to $1,000 for project related expenses (transportation, classroom materials, etc.)
SCECHs for participation in professional development
Connection to potential local partners
Opportunities to showcase your students, school, and connect to your community
Opportunities to network with teacher colleagues in the region and community and university experts in sustainability issues
Access to curated online resources for sustainability education
Support for Dow Innovation Teacher Fellows will continue after their initial year as a Fellows. Ongoing benefits will include:
Access to professional development opportunities
Subscription to DITF Newsletter: Teaching Towards Sustainability, which highlights grant opportunities and teaching resources on a monthly basis
Mentorship and networking opportunities with other Fellows
Eligibility for additional funding to continue place-based sustainability work in your classrooms
Opportunities to pilot new programs and resources