By STEFANIE HILL

Staff Writer

Biology majors are not only educating their minds in the fields of science but also helping K-12 students with their work.

These college students, referred to as Teacher Fellows, are part of a program called National Science Foundation Grades K-12. This program is collaboration between the university and surrounding K-12 schools to have Teacher Fellows attend and help teach science. This is the second year for the Teacher Fellows program.

Ross Patrick, a second year graduate student in biological sciences, helped with ninth through 12th grade students at Weston High School, located at 213 Highway 305 Jonesboro, last June.

“This is a great program, and I’m a little sad to leave it,” Patrick said. “A lot of the students took well to the program. I think it made science more tangible for them.”

Amber Doss, a graduate student in biological sciences, will start the Teacher Fellows program this summer.

“I am looking forward to be a part of the 2004-05 Teacher Fellows staff,” Doss said. “I think it is going to be a great experience, and I’m really going to get a lot out of it.”

The Colleges of Applied and Natural Sciences, Engineering and Science and Education are all helping with the program. Along with the Center for Applied Teaching and Learning to Yield Scientific Thinking, they will coordinate all aspects of the curriculum.

Dr. David Mills, director of the School of Biological Sciences and an associate professor of biological sciences, said the Teacher Fellows must devote at least 15 hours a week to the program.

To be eligible for the program, Smith said students must be full time, be an American citizen and be actively engaged in a research project. They must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and submit their GRE scores, as well as participate in a private interview.

“This is a program unlike any we’ve ever had,” Mills said. “It turned out really good, and I’m very pleased with the outcome of its first year.”

Mills said not only does this program help schools grow in the education field, but it has also contributed to the Teacher Fellows development.

“I think we made a really strong impact on the students and the teachers,” Mills said. “I definitely see a very significant growth of maturity in the Teacher Fellows.”

Patrick agreed the program helped him become more professional.

“You learn to be ready on time, but also that you can’t be stuck to a schedule because you never know when the student might be called out of the classroom for school meetings or something,” Patrick said. “I learn to think on my feet and be more spontaneous.”

Mills said the Teacher Fellows connected with the K-12 students and vice versa.

“[Teacher Fellows] started referring to the students as their kids, and the students referred to them as their scientists,” Mills said. “These students looked up to Teacher Fellows and realized ‘Well, if they can do it, so can I.’”