The New Jersey STEM Innovation Fellowship is an exciting teacher-leadership open to experienced, licensed grade 3-8 teachers working in New Jersey public schools. Educators accepted to the fellowship will receive a stipend. Alongside talented educators from other New Jersey schools and districts, they will join a supportive learning community where they will learn about an innovative, research‐based, longitudinal approach to supporting both math and science teaching.
Innovation
This year’s fellows will learn about Balancing Acts, a novel instructional routine focused on eliciting and advancing students’ ideas about equality and equivalence. Balancing Acts support students’ sense-making with innovative physical and virtual tools and interactive hands-on activities that teachers implement with their students on a regular basis.
Participants in this leadership program will work together in small teams to learn new concepts, experiment with new tools and manipulatives, and design, implement, and reflect on Balancing Acts for their classrooms. This program is an extension of the New Jersey STEM Innovation Fellowship for Mathematics, which was implemented from 2019-2023 with elementary math teachers using the Number Strings instructional routine.
Fellowship At a Glance
- Fellowship duration
- One-year fellowship
- Eligibility
- Currently licensed math school teachers (grades 3 through 8) or science teachers (grades 6-8), working in a NJ public school; classes taught during the fellowship year must include science or math content. We particularly welcome applications from teachers who teach both math and science at the elementary or middle school level.
- Activity
- Participants in this leadership program will work together in small teams to learn new concepts, experiment with new tools and manipulatives, and design, implement, and reflect on Balancing Acts for their classrooms. This program is an extension of the New Jersey STEM Innovation Fellowship for Mathematics, which was implemented from 2019-2023 with elementary math teachers using the Number Strings instructional routine.
- Time commitment
- One year, summer institute on August 27th, 28th and 29th, and FIVE after‐school meetings during the academic year.
- Location
- PRISM at Montclair State University – 1515 Broad Street, Bloomfield NJ 2nd Fl. (Off campus).
- Benefit to fellows
- Each fellow may earn up to a $3,000 stipend; high‐quality professional learning experience.
- Benefits to schools/districts
- Increased capacity for high-quality math and science instruction
Application Checklist
- You MUST access and complete the application using a GMail account. Please note that some school-based GMail accounts will prevent you from accessing the application. In those instances, you will want to use a personal GMail account to complete the application.
- Carefully read the New Jersey STEM Innovation Fellowship Overview.
- Complete a current resume. Resume must be saved as a ‘PDF’ with a filename of: “last name_district_Resume”
- Complete the Written Response Question 1. Response must be saved as a ‘PDF’ with a filename format of: “last name_district_WRQ1”
- Describe an experience within the last two years that deepened your appreciation for how students can use (physical or virtual) tools or manipulatives to develop their understanding of a math and/or science concept. Be sure to explain what the experience was like, what tools or manipulatives were involved, what you learned about the role of tools and manipulatives in learning, and what you now do differently as a result of having had the experience. (350 words max)
- Complete the Written Response Question 2. Response must be saved as a ‘PDF’ with a filename format of: “last name_district_WRQ2″
- Balancing Acts are innovative mathematical activities that promote the ideas of equality and equivalence, which are fundamental to STEM concepts that span K-12 education.
- Complete the following : I’m interested in learning how to incorporate the Balancing Acts approach in my teaching because _______________ ….
- Explain using examples how this approach might support what and how you teach. We’re looking for teachers who want to learn – don’t be afraid to write about aspects of teaching and learning that you want to improve upon and understand more deeply! (350 words max)
- When the resume and written responses are completed, begin the application process.
- Arrange to have the Statement of Assurance completed and signed by both your school building leader (e.g. principal) and school district leader (e.g. superintendent/network leader); the single, two-page document should then be submitted by either the administrator or the applicant. In most cases it will make sense to first secure the endorsement of your school building leader (e.g., principal), who can help you to secure the endorsement of your school district superintendent/supervisor. Please feel free to share the New Jersey STEM Innovation Fellowship Overview document with both administrators.
- Arrange to have the Letter of Reference form completed and submitted by a colleague or coach.
Dates to remember
- June 12, 2024 – Application due
- Mid July 2024 – Decision letters sent via email
- July 31, 2024 – Fellowship agreement letter/letter of intent due
- August 27, 28, 28, 2024 – Summer Institute at PRISM at Montclair State University – 1515 Broad Street, Bloomfield NJ 2nd Fl. (Off campus)
Required Application Documents
Completed forms can be uploaded with the application or sent via email to NJSTEMinnovation@montclair.edu