Science Education Partnership for Greater Minnesota (SEPGM) is designed to foster science education in northwest Minnesota through three different channels:
The project will take advantage of existing resources (Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories, Itasca State Park) and will work with school district teachers and administrators and other partners in the area to enhance and support this and other collaborative science education ventures in the northwest Minnesota region.
RTAP will place undergraduate students from the University of Minnesota in classrooms alongside science teachers in northwest Minnesota. As Teacher Associates, they will help to incorporate new science activities into the classroom and get a chance to experience teaching as a career option and life outside the urban area as a living option. Teachers and Teacher Associates will both receive stipends for their extended efforts.
ITI is housed at the Itasca Forestry and Biological Station, and creates an ongoing learning network for science teachers in northwest Minnesota. The teachers return regularly to learn cutting-edge scientific methods, borrow lab equipment for their classrooms, and conduct research. Teachers receive graduate credit for being a part of the institute.
6–12th grade students will benefit in a variety of ways from this program including improvements in their science classrooms because of the collaboration between their teacher and the University students and faculty, additional equipment that will be available from the Station, and opportunities to engage in science outside their classroom both in their area and in trips to the Twin Cities campus.
