Boardman resident wins foundation fellowship

The award provides up to $150,000 in assistance over five years.

STAFF REPORT

MOORESTOWN, N.J. — About half of all secondary school teachers leave the field within five years, often citing a lack of support, professional isolation and a lack of mentoring programs as primary reasons.

The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF), an advocate for improving the quality of science and mathematics teaching in United States high schools, is trying to do something about that, offering teaching fellowships to aspiring teachers of promise to assist them in their chosen field.

The fellowships are valued at up to $150,000 over five years, and a local resident, Alexandra Fuentes of Boardman, won one of just 33 of them offered across the United States this year.

Fuentes, who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh this spring with a degree in biological science and an honor’s degree in economics, is enrolled at Harvard University pursuing a teaching degree.

Her goal is to teach high school biology in low-performing high schools and eventually work in the field of education policy.

The fellowship package is designed to meet the financial and professional needs of new teachers so they remain in the profession to become leaders in education.

Benefits include tuition assistance, monthly stipends and support for summer professional development, as well as regular meetings, online discussions, a structured mentor relationship for each Fellow and teaching materials.

KSTF uses four major criteria in the selection of Teaching Fellows: exceptional content knowledge, commitment to teaching, ability to teach and leadership.

Applications are reviewed by KSTF program staff and a judging panel of scientists, mathematicians and educators.

The application period for the 2009 fellowship awards is open and applications are available online at www.kstf.org, along with the eligibility and selection criteria.

The deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Jan. 14. Only online submissions will be considered.