Empowering Educators: Innovative Training Program Equips Teachers to Lead in STEM Education
This spring, eight teachers from the first cohort were invited to present their Wipro grant projects at the National Science Teaching Association’s National Conference on Science Education in Denver, Colorado. (in photo from left to right): Carmen King (White Plains), Meera Rajani (White Plains), Susannah Genty-Waksberg (White Plains), Elcilia Tavares (White Plains), Colleen Cahill (Port Chester), Aimee Ferguson (New Rochelle), Vittoria Condello-Vessecchia (New Rochelle) and Michelle Memoli (New Rochelle).
Mercy University’s Center for STEM Education continues to empower local teachers through its Wipro Reimagined program. Building on the success of the Wipro Science Education Fellowship, this transformative initiative funded through international information technology company Wipro, provides specialized training to teachers, amplifying their ability to deliver high-quality STEM instruction in the classroom.
“The Wipro fellowship has been an amazing program for 10 years,” said Amanda Gunning, Ph.D, co-director of Mercy’s Center for STEM Education and the Greater New York Wipro Science Education Followship. “It supports a lot of teachers in different ways,” she continued. “This recent round of funding supports teachers who are working to bring STEM projects to their school or district that wouldn't normally happen without the funding and their leadership.”
Wipro Reimagined has brought together 48 educators (cohorts 1 and 2) from three school districts in Westchester districts (New Rochelle, White Plains, Port Chester), fostering a collaborative environment where innovative teaching practices can flourish. Working with original Wipro Science Education Fellows as mentors and leaders, the fellows developed leadership projects connected to their specific district priorities.
This spring, eight teachers from the first cohort were invited to present their Wipro grant projects at the National Science Teaching Association’s National Conference On Science Education in Denver, Colorado. The teachers who presented were Carmen King, Susannah Genty Waksberg, Meera Rajani, Elcilia Taveras, and Vittoria Vessechia, White Plains City School District; Michelle Memoli, Aimee Ferguson, New Rochelle City School District; and Colleen Cahill, Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District.
The projects were:
- Using authentic STEM investigations that are culturally and historically responsive while collaborating to create a common framework for planning learning experiences.
- Having a dedicated STEM resource for teachers, to streamline the curriculum and give teachers ideas for incorporating STEM in ways that are accessible to all students and mindful of a K-5 teacher’s workload.
- Modifying and adapting STEM lessons for all students, including students with learning disabilities, speech and language impairments, interrupted formal schooling/newcomers to the country, and other English Language Learners.
The experience was invaluable for connecting educators who are passionate about bringing STEM education to students. “They presented their ideas to a national audience and had the opportunity to meet Fellows from the other sites,” Gunning said. “So it was a really wonderful professional experience for them on so many levels, not just presenting but also the connections and meeting other teachers who share their enthusiasm for STEM education.”
For more information on Mercy University’s Center for STEM Education and Wipro Reimagined, visit https://www.mercy.edu/academics/center-stem-education/wipro-science-education.