RALEIGH, N.C. – The Kenan Fellows Program has awarded 49 Fellowships to North Carolina public school teachers in every region of the state.
The newest cohort of Kenan Fellows will tackle summer research projects in a variety of fields including curriculum design, renewable energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. From their research, the Fellows will develop innovative classroom resources and lesson plans designed to enrich the educational experience for kindergarteners through high school seniors.
These resources are shared with other educators at the regional, state and national level via workshops, conferences and online platforms. Statewide more than 230 teachers applied for 49 Fellowships.
Those chosen to participate in the Kenan Fellows Program represent a diverse group of highly-accomplished North Carolina teachers from urban and rural school districts stretching from the mountains to the coast.
An initiative of the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science at N.C. State University, the Kenan Fellows Program sends teachers into contemporary “learning labs” in industry or higher education where they are paired with a mentor to explore new ways of preparing students for college and careers. The teachers remain active in their classrooms while completing the year-long Fellowship.
"The Kenan Fellows Program leverages the wealth of public and private expertise across the state," said Susan Parry, Acting Director of the Kenan Fellows Program. “We arm educators with 21st Century skills and help them develop the skills of master teachers who inspire change in their schools, districts and beyond.”
Fellows are selected through a competitive process. In addition to a five-week summer externship with a mentor, Fellows receive a tablet provided by Lenovo — the program’s technology sponsor — two weeks of professional development and a stipend. The experience is designed to support model educators who serve as ambassadors for excellence in education.
The Kenan Fellows Program cultivates effective education-industry partnerships to promote teacher leadership, address retention and advance K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
The program is made possible through the support of generous sponsors and partners:
- Lenovo
- GlaxoSmithkline
- The Goodnight Educational Founation
- North Carolina New Schools
- Lockheed Martin
- Warren County Farm Bureau
- Warren County Economic Development Commission
- CommScope
- Ingersoll Rand
- Vidant Health
- Biogen Idec Foundation
- N.C. Department of Public Instruction
- Duplin County Schools
- NASA
- N.C. Science Mathematics, and Technology Education Center
- SAMSI
- Duplin Winery
- Murphy-Brown, LLC
- Williamsdale Research Farm
- Columbus County Schools
- Wake County Public Schools
- N.C. A&T State University
- Duke Progress Energy
- UNC Morehead Planetarium & Science Center
- FREEDM Systems Center
- N.C. State University
- 4H
- PlyGem
- Southeastern Community College
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- Fleet Readiness Center East
- USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)