OACIS Become Fellow

Become an OACIS Fellow

We invite University of Washington (UW) graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) who are passionate about teaching science to young people to apply to become OACIS fellows. Fellows work part-time during the nine-month school year from October to June, but training begins during June of that year.

Collaborating with High School Teachers

Our fellows help integrate marine science content into the high school science curriculum. Fellows work directly with teachers in classrooms at least 10 hours per week throughout the school year. They also spend five hours per week preparing for their work in the schools and a few hours per week in meetings and seminars. Because each high school is different, fellows and teachers discuss the fellows’ roles in the classrooms before the school year begins. Fellows’ duties in the classroom may include: Designing lessons and projects that are original or adapted from current research anduniversity courses for the high school classroom Teaching particular components of the curriculum Setting up demonstrations and student laboratory activities Acting as a content resource for the teacher and the students Allowing the class to break up into smaller groups

Support and Training

Along with working in the schools, OACIS provides fellows with teaching training and continued support throughout the year. During the summer before the school year begins, fellows attend two training workshops and take a two-credit short course. During the school year, fellows attend bi-monthly teaching seminars and can observe experienced teacher/fellow classes as examples of how to carry out their roles. The OACIS coordinators communicate regularly with fellows and teachers to help foster collaboration between team members.

Fellows are encouraged to consult UW faculty in our ocean sciences departments and staff from the Centers of Ocean Science and Education Excellence Ocean Learning Communities to find and develop appropriate activities and teaching materials incorporating examples from ongoing research projects.

Fellowship Stipend

Fellows receive one full year of support ($30,000), with the possibility of continuing through a second year. Funding begins in June and ends in June of the following year.

Fellow Duties

Attend fellow and training workshops (link to Events and Deadlines) in June and August
Enroll in the five-day best practices teaching course (link to Events and Deadlines) in late September (2 credits)
Attend weekly meeting with the high school teacher
Attend bi-monthly seminar (link to Events and Deadlines) with OACIS staff and faculty
Attend quarterly all-OACIS meetings (link to Events and Deadlines)
Prepare for in-class time (5 hours/week)
Help teach weekly lessons and participate in course activities (at least 10 hours/week)
Develop two lesson plans to publish online (link to Events and Deadlines)
Reflect and evaluate your OACIS work through a formal essay (link to Events and Deadlines)

Desired Qualifications

UW graduate students studying marine science or from any STEM program can apply for the fellowship. Fellows do not need previous teaching experience. Each year, OACIS selects eight graduate students for five to six fellowships in Seattle public high schools and two to three fellowships in San Juan County public high schools. Fellows will be selected based on:

Enthusiasm for interacting with high school teachers and students
Ability to understand and teach concepts using inquiry-based techniques that align with the school district’s curriculum
Maturity in dealing with classroom teachers
Flexibility in working in a different culture
Appropriateness and timeliness of the year-long commitment to the graduate student’s own career

Apply

To apply, download the Graduate Fellow Application.