As part of Georgia Tech’s goal to contribute to the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators, this summer, students and faculty have the chance to be part of a living laboratory for middle and high school education in the STEM fields.

A collaboration between the Georgia Intern Fellowships for Teachers (GIFT) program and the Pre-Teaching Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (PT-SURE) program, this initiative will bring together teachers of grades six to 12 with  undergraduates, graduate students and researchers from Georgia Tech in the Institute’s labs. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from each other and Tech faculty, with the goal of equipping teachers to develop better curricula and integrate new applications into the classroom.

PT-SURE is a paid opportunity for undergraduates interested in teaching grades six to 12. Beneficiaries receive $3,000 from the program and can register for undergraduate research credit; no prior teaching experience is required. GIFT is a teacher professional development program providing paid summer STEM internships for middle and high school science, mathematics, and technology teachers.

The GIFT and PT-SURE programs will work together to match participants and researchers based on common academic interests. GIFT participants may bring with them a small team of high schoolers, providing opportunities for PT-SURE undergraduates to work directly with both high school students and teachers in a lab setting.

Students interested in PT-SURE should apply online by March 29 and can expect to receive a decision during late April. For more information, contact Susan Belmonte in the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL).

Both the GIFT and PT-SURE programs require faculty hosts in labs on campus. Faculty interested in having GIFT teachers and PT-SURE students in their labs can contact Bonnie Harris in the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) for more information on how to participate.

This living lab initiative runs from June 10 to July 16, with orientation on May 21.