Me with my mentor, Dr. Julia Stevens
My name is Courtney Millis and I have been teaching Middle School Math and Science in Durham, NC for 3 years. I taught 7th and 8th Grade for 2 years, have taught 6th grade for 1 year, and plan to teach 6th grade again this fall. I teach at a small public Montessori school and have my master’s degree in Montessori education so I tend to see everything through the lens of Montessori philosophy. A big part of that philosophy is helping students understand how they fit into the larger world and allowing them to feel connected to it. I applied for a Kenan Fellowship so that I can develop more of an understanding of the larger scientific community in my area and so that I can bring that understanding and excitement back to my students.
I was lucky enough to be selected for a “Students Discover” project at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences which focuses on putting students in control of real science. Dr. Stevens is working on a project to understand the diversity of microbes in and around plants and the symbiotic relationship between the plants and the microbes that contribute to plant success. Last year Kenan Fellows(other teachers) worked with Dr. Stevens to collect and culture bacteria and fungi that were recruited by dandelions. This year we are looking at some of the specific beneficial bacteria that they found and searching for other plant species that recruit the same bacteria.
Me, Jennifer, and Taylar (left to right)
Team Dirt 2015