JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local teacher was surprised Thursday by Duval County School District leaders after being selected as a National Science Teacher Association fellow.
Jasmine Anderson, a science teacher for the Bridge to Success Program at Westside High School, was one of 30 teachers selected from thousands across the country for the program.
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The National Science Teacher Association partnered with Lockheed Martin to fund professional learning opportunities and science-related activities.
Anderson said she's going to bring what she learns back to her classroom to better the education of her students.
"A lot of resilience... understanding that a lot of things just have to be explained a different way,” Anderson said. "Whenever someone has a light bulb moment and they can connect something they already knew to a new concept that -- at first -- was really difficult to them, that is amazing."
In addition to Anderson, four other Florida teachers were among the 30 selected for the fellowship:
- Giancarlo Cetrulo of St. Helen Catholic School in Vero Beach
- Leslee Hoepner-Scruggs, American Heritage School in Delray Beach
- Sarah Sanford, Thomas Richard Robinson High School in Tampa
- Abigail Smith, J.R. Arnold High School in Panama City Beach
“We take tremendous pride in this year's cohort of fellows,” NSTA executive director Dr. David Evans said in a news release. “They are motivated, they are passionate about science, and they are deeply committed to developing their skills as teachers so that they can not only bolster student achievement, but also better inspire passion for science in their students.”
The Lockheed Martin-NSTA fellows were selected on the basis of criteria, including showing evidence of a solid science background and displaying a strong interest in growing as a professional science educator. During their fellowship, recipients will receive:
- A discipline-specific mentor
- Access to a facilitated web-based curriculum devoted to content and classroom pedagogy
- An opportunity to participate in a variety of web-based professional learning activities, including a specially designated online learning community
- Financial support to attend the NSTA 2016 National Conference on Science Education in Los Angeles
- A comprehensive NSTA membership package