Avera Research Institute Researcher Mentors Local Science Teacher
APS member participates in 'Frontiers in Physiology' program
BETHESDA, MD (July 2006) -- American Physiological Society (APS) member Kaia L. Kloster, a researcher at Avera Research Institute and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine, is giving a high school teacher real-life laboratory experience as part of the APS Frontiers in Physiology program. The program is part of the APS effort to promote excellence in K-12 science education.
Kloster is serving as a research mentor to Ramona Lundberg of Deuel High School, Clear Lake, SD. Kloster is among the 18 APS members working with recipients of the 2006 Frontiers in Physiology Professional Development Fellowships.
The APS awarded the research fellowships to 20 middle school and high school teachers in 12 states and the District of Columbia. The Society funds each teacher to work in an APS member's laboratory for up to eight weeks. The researchers continue to work with the teachers through the school year, visiting their classrooms or having the teachers and their students visit their labs.
"For many teachers, this summer experience marks the first time they have ever participated in scientific research," said Marsha Lakes Matyas, the APS director of education programs. "It gives them a new perspective on their teaching and the importance of hands-on, inquiry-based learning, which they carry back to their students. The mentoring relationship not only continues into the school year but sometimes lasts for years to follow."
The program gives the teachers the opportunity to learn research techniques and follow the scientific process from start to finish. As a result, the teachers gain a greater understanding of science, something they can pass on to their students. The teachers also learn effective education strategies that help them translate their research experience into classroom lessons.
The award provides each teacher with a stipend and travel expenses of up to $8,500 and includes a one week science teaching forum in which they explore new and innovative research and teaching techniques intended for application in the classroom. This forum takes place near Washington DC over the summer.
The fellows also receive travel expenses to attend the APS annual meeting, Experimental Biology 2007, in the spring. The scientific forum attracts more than 10,000 scientists annually.
Training science teachers for 16 years
The Frontiers program began in 1990 with 10 high school science teachers who received fellowships for eight weeks of summer research in a physiology laboratory. Since then, nearly 345 teachers and 229 APS members nationwide have participated in the program.
The program has helped teachers increase their understanding of scientific research methods and the importance of biomedical research. It also has helped teachers incorporate best teaching practices -- those that promote both excellence and equity in science education -- as recommended by the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards.
The Frontiers program is one of several grant-supported programs that APS administers to improve science education by building connections between teachers and researchers. The APS, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA), and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health sponsor the Frontiers in Physiology program.
The American Physiological Society was founded in 1887 to foster basic and applied bioscience. The Bethesda, Maryland-based society has more than 10,500 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals containing almost 4,000 articles annually.
APS provides a wide range of research, educational and career support and programming to further the contributions of physiology to understanding the mechanisms of diseased and healthy states. In 2004, APS received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).
Click here to learn about the Applied Research Division of the Avera Research Institute.
