The Urban Critical Zone* (CZ) Network is seeking candidates for its 2022-2023 CZ Teacher Fellowship program. This opportunity is open to middle and high school science teachers in one of four metropolitan areas along the Fall Zone: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC & Raleigh.
* The critical zone is Earth's outer skin from the tops of trees down to the deepest groundwater. The critical zone is a living, breathing, constantly changing place where rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms interact and shape Earth’s surface.
Overview
The CZ Fellows will join a team of scientists and educators studying urban critical zone processes across the geographical Fall Zone between the Piedmont uplands and the Coastal plain. Sites span from Philadelphia, PA at the north to Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC and on to Raleigh, NC to the south, representing a range of climates, ages and densities of development. The Urban CZ project is investigating how water quality changes across the Fall Zone, and how this is influenced by cities situated along this significant feature of the Eastern seaboard.
The CZ Fellows will work with the Urban CZ education staff and a mentor scientist to create a Data Nugget using urban CZ research and data. Data Nuggets (https://datanuggets.org/) are free classroom activities, co-designed by scientists and teachers, to bring contemporary research and authentic data into the classroom. Fellows will participate in monthly after school meetings from September 2022 through early summer 2023. Pilot testing will commence in Spring 2023.
Fellowship Dates and Deliverables
- After school meetings: ~2 hours per month (dates TBD) September 2022 – June 2023
- Meetings with mentor scientists & education staff: ongoing
- Pilot test educational materials: winter/spring 2023
- Provide feedback and suggestions for improvement to education staff: early summer 2023
Compensation
$3000 stipend to be issued in two installments, one after completing a draft of the Data Nugget (late winter 2022) and the second in early summer 2022 after pilot testing, the winter/spring meetings and feedback and suggestions are submitted.
To Apply
Submit your resume and letter of application that describes your current teaching assignment and explains your interest in the program to berkowitza@caryinstitute.org. A select number of applicants will be contacted for an interview. Applications ongoing.
For more information about the Urban Critical Zone Network visit: https://urbancz.umbc.edu/