Teacher Researcher Partnership

The TRP program is undergoing changes and will not be holding at 2013 program. Please check back for TRP updates

TRP Promotes the teaching of science in new and effective ways by providing teachers in the St. Louis public schools with the opportunity to work with fellow teachers and in collaboration with a Washington University research partner to translate laboratory research into active learning for students.

The Teacher and Researcher Partnership program has been redesigned to better integrate basic science research with innovative curriculum development, providing participating teachers with new ideas to energize classroom science teaching in the coming academic year. Participating teachers will receive a $4000.00 stipend for participation in the eight-week program. Additionally, each teacher will be provided with a generous supply allowance to be used toward the purchase of any necessary laboratory equipment/supplies needed to implement newly developed lesson activities. Applications are encouraged from teachers with no previous research experience as well as those who have had laboratory experience.

High school and middle school science teachers from the St. Louis City & County public schools system will be selected for this exciting program. Participating teachers will spend eight weeks during the summer in a basic science research laboratory. Working closely with a research partner, the teachers will conduct cutting edge research in a laboratory on the Washington University Main or Medical campus. Additionally these teacher-researcher pairs will co-develop a new lesson activity as an extension of their research that will be implemented in the classroom by the pair during the following school year. In addition to the experiences gained through laboratory research, participating teachers will have many other opportunities for enrichment. A weekly seminar series on topics from cancer biology to infectious diseases will expose the teachers to new areas in scientific research. A bi-weekly journal club will challenge the teachers to consider some of the most controversial topics in science, such as cloning and genetically modified foods. A celebratory banquet and awards ceremony will close the summer.