Supporting In-Service Science Teachers through Research Experiences
The Teacher-Researcher Partnership Program (TRPP) began in 2015, and 2020 marked the 6th cohort to complete the program. This project is led by Dr. William Tapprich, Dept. of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, with project leadership team including Heather Leas, STEM TRAIL Center; Neal Grandgenett, Dept. of Teacher Education, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences; and Christine Cutucache, Dept. of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences at UNO.
In December 2020, 11 in-service teachers, 4 active pre-service NSF-sponsored Noyce Scholars, 13 UNO science faculty mentors, UNO leaders, and various community friends joined the TRPP Annual Research Symposium. This symposium is an opportunity for teachers to share the results of their research projects, and convey how these engaging projects are being shared with their students within the Omaha Public School system. Thanks to a longer-term collaboration with OPS, teachers in the program have been able to take graduate courses with full support provided by the grant, and work with faculty mentors to stay apprised of current events within science.
Many of the participants in the TRPP have been acknowledged for regional and national awards. Rachael Arens, a former TRPP member with 5 years of participation, was honored for the Air Force Association/Rolls Royce Association National STEM Teacher of the Year, the Environmental Protection Agency Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, and in 2018 (after participating in TRPP for multiple years and even presenting her work internationally in Finland - a country consistently topping the PISA score list), she also won the Nebraska Teacher of the Year Award of Excellence.
Shawn Graham, an OPS teacher who is also the President at the Aquatic Society of Omaha, consistently brings awareness to socioeconomic and ecological challenges within Omaha and Lincoln and has been recognized for such work by the 4H, Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, and other agencies.
These are just two examples of the outstanding science teacher participants in the TRPP. Others have gone on to judge national soil competitions, carry out engaged service learning projects, and worked with industry to make their content most relevant to students.
Dr. William Tapprich, who has led the program since 2018 said, “The TRPP is a great example of the kind of collaborative, engaged activities that result when the university partners with the community. Omaha and UNO are synonymous, and the ongoing collaboration with TRPP is just one example of that community impact. It’s a joy to work with such talented teachers, and to grow our pre-service NoyceScience teachers through this network and ecosystem.”
Interested in joining the 2021 cohort of TRPP teachers or researchers? Check the TRPP website for updates. Interested in helping this program to be sustainable into 2022 and beyond? Please consider a gift today or contact unostemtrailcenter@unomaha.edu to learn of ways to sponsor a teacher, a mentor pair, equipment, or student experiences.