Jacksonville Teacher Residency participants organize 2017 STEM Carnival for AmeriCorps Week of Service
3/15/2017
For our city to become all that we know it can be, we must ensure that all of our children have the opportunity to learn and develop. Great public school teachers make the difference when it comes to preparing our city’s children for success. In Duval County, amazing current and future teachers are stepping up to give students a leg up.
Recently, more than 60 students were given the opportunity to participate in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Carnival organized by AmeriCorps Jacksonville Teacher Residency participants at Andrew Jackson High School Thursday, March 9 as part of AmeriCorps Week of Service.
The Jacksonville Teacher Residency (JTR) Program is a medical residency-style program that takes high-achieving college graduates with STEM majors and puts them in high-need schools for a total of four years: one year as a resident teacher with an assigned mentor, and three years as a teacher of record in one of the 36 schools in the feeder patterns targeted by the Quality Education for All (QEA) Fund. The JTR Program, which is made possible by the QEA Fund, is Florida’s first urban teacher residency program, and is a partnership between Duval County Public Schools and the University of North Florida.
Thirteen of the AmeriCorps JTR Program’s Cohort 3 residents along with community volunteers organized and lead eight STEM-related booths at the event.
Juan March and Harris Newsteder, two members of the Osprey Robotics Club from the University of North Florida, lead an additional booth introducing students to their seven-month-old robot that is going to be used in an upcoming completion in May.
The event was the final of the two STEM Carnivals that JTR residents held for this year’s AmeriCorps Week of Service.
Schools in our city need community support to thrive! There are so many ways that all citizens can be a part of the movement to ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education. Click here to learn more about ways in which you can get involved to support our students and our city.