The Sheldon Lab at the University of Tennessee and Fish and Wildlife Biologists from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI) are running a summer STEM research program for EBCI high school students and are seeking an Education Coordinator. The Education Coordinator position will run from ~May 21-July 31 and will be located in Cherokee, NC. Housing will be provided on- site in Cherokee, NC and the coordinator will be compensated with a summer stipend ($3,000).
The coordinator will work with a small group of high school students (5-7) from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI). The coordinator will meet with the students 3-4 days a week and will prepare and lead lesson on climate change and native fauna in southern Appalachia, facilitate student field projects using native beetles (this field project is already designed), and facilitate field trips for students to meet with EBCI biologists. The Sheldon lab and EBCI Fish and Wildlife have the expertise and know-how, so students should not be discouraged if they are new to a particular subject---like beetle natural history, for example. Though the coordinator will be in contact with students several days a week, the coordinator will not necessarily have 'full-time' responsibility of the students. There will be time during the day for the coordinator to prepare lesson plans etc. and time on weekends to explore the Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas like Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC. The position is open to advanced undergrads, recent graduates, or current grad students, and preference will be given to those seeking STEM education degrees with exceptional outreach/teaching experience. The position will require independence and self-motivation, lecturing in front of groups, preparing engaging and creative classroom activities, research and teaching in the field (sometimes in hot and/or buggy conditions), handling beetles, and communicating and organizing with several parties including UTK faculty, EBCI wildlife biologists, and EBCI high school teachers. Students interested in the Education Coordinator position should contact Amanda Wilson Carter at acart...@utk.edu with the information listed below. Applications are due no later than May 1, 2018. If you are interested in the position, please send: 1) Resume or CV 2) Unofficial transcripts 3) A brief description of your teaching/outreach experience with K-12 students. Please describe how these past experiences would enable you to be an effective Education Coordinator. 4) A brief description of why you are interested in the position. Please detail what you could contribute to the program (e.g. unique skills/passions/experiences), and what you hope to gain from the program. 5) Contact information of 1 professional reference who can speak to your teaching/outreach interests and capabilities All application materials should be sent to acart...@utk.edu no later than May 1, 2018.
