RALEIGH, N.C. – The Wells Fargo Foundation is helping the Kenan Fellows Program broaden its reach in eastern North Carolina with a $10,000 gift.
The Foundation’s support is helping to create professional learning opportunities for 33 exceptional K-12 educators. The teachers are part of the 2015-16 cohort of Kenan Fellows. Each of them spent five weeks this summer interning in local industries under the guidance of a mentor. The teacher internship is designed to deepen their content knowledge and incorporate their “real-world” experience into grade-level curriculum.
“This contribution helps us expand our program into rural areas of our state and connect teachers and students with local industries and experts,” said Elaine Franklin, director of the Kenan Fellows Program. “It’s because of the support from valuable partners such as the Wells Fargo Foundation that we are able to support the work of great teachers and help them feel more empowered to effect change.”
The Kenan Fellows Program bridges the gap between K-12 educators, industry, and research. By immersing educators in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and providing tools for applications; Kenan Fellows are better equipped to prepare students for success in higher education and careers. In addition to the teacher internship, Kenan Fellows receive 80 hours of professional and leadership development. A core goal of the program is to develop effective teacher leaders who serve as advocates for excellence in education. Through this experience, Kenan Fellows develop educational resources and programs that are shared with other educators and used in classrooms, school systems and communities throughout the state and beyond.
About the Wells Fargo Foundation: Wells Fargo is proud to support organizations working to strengthen our communities. Through the efforts of our enthusiastic team member-volunteers and our contributions, we share our success within our communities by giving back to non-profits and educational institutions that address vital community needs and issues.