Being a Kenan fellow has inspired me to reach out and look for more opportunities to share my talents in curriculum design and course construction. I have been working on the science curriculum planning documents for a school that is opening in China. In October of 2015 I was able to travel to China and witness this partnership between the NCSU Friday Institute and the Suzhou North America High school in Suzhou China.
While in China, I was able to teach a group of students a lab on ecosystem biodiversity. We used a stream that ran through their temporary campus. All the students were engaged in the project and I realized that they are no different than my students at Wake STEM. They all find inquiry activities engaging and rewarding.
I was also involved in conversations with the staff at the school about science teaching methods, science literacy methods, and what they would need in their new building. Being a Kenan Fellow has given me the credibility that I need to secure these opportunities and make a difference in science education in communities far away from my own.