Whether aspiring to be a pediatric physician, intensive care nurse, wildlife rehabilitator, or otherwise, gaining experience in educating and communicating with young students and community members is valuable for an individual’s career preparedness.
This summer, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Robert J. Noyce Teacher Scholarship program afforded those opportunities to seven students pursuing degrees in science-related fields, who have an interest in education. Participants recapped their experiences during the Noyce Summer Scholars Showcase held Thursday, Sept. 19 in the Morris University Center.
“Children are in their most important developmental stages, and since I want to be a pediatric doctor, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to learn how to best connect with kids and introduce scientific topics in an engaging way,” said Justin Rosales, of Lake in the Hills, a sophomore studying biology, with a specialization in medical science. “As a doctor, I not only want to help them get better when they’re sick, but also help them learn how the world works and how they can make it a better place.”
The Noyce program is funded by the National Science Foundation and provides $2,500 summer scholarships to qualified SIUE freshmen and sophomores and local community college students who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching careers. The students receive training in delivering STEM activities to youth and then complete 200 hours of service, teaching in an informal K-12 learning environment.
The 2019 community sites for the Noyce scholars included Edwardsville District 7’s Summer Zone, SIUE’s Odyssey Science Camp, and the Watershed Nature Center in Edwardsville.
“This summer offered an incredibly immersive experience,” said Victoria Green, of Collinsville, a sophomore biology major pursuing the environment, evolution and ecology specialization. Green spent eight weeks at the Watershed Nature Center in Edwardsville.
“I expected a lot of greeting people, but didn’t anticipate the amount of education I’d get to be involved with,” Green explained. “This was the most direct, yet non-traditional, educational role I’ve gotten to experience. I helped with reading and nature programs, fielded questions from the public, helped with wildlife management and coordinated a large, community composting event.”
Nursing major Domonique Dones, of Belleville, noted her enhanced appreciation for teachers after completing her summer experience helping with Summer Zone and Odyssey Science Camp.
“There’s so much more involved than creating a lesson plan and teaching the content,” Dones said. “We worked hard to create engaging activities so we could connect with the kids. For instance, we led a demonstration of the different moon phases using Oreos. We also learned classroom management skills.”
“I’m interested in working in pediatric intensive care, but previously thought about teaching,” she added. “This summer experience offered the perfect blend of science and teaching.”
The Noyce summer scholars experience is coordinated through the SIUE STEM Center, in partnership with faculty from the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Photos: SIUE sophomore Justin Rosales recaps his summer experience to School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Dean Robin Hughes, PhD, at the Noyce Summer Scholars Showcase.
Noyce Scholar Victoria Green shares details about her summer experience at the Watershed Nature Center with STEM Center Director Sharon Locke, PhD.