LEADERS

Project Description:

The LEADERS (Learn, Engage, and Develop Efficiently through Research and Service) project is designed to provide opportunities for “Service Learning,” “Undergraduate Research,” and “direct real-world teaching experience” for undergraduate students majoring in Teaching and Learning and STEM at the University of Houston. The project will be hosted by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education (COE), with the help of various faculty and entities at UH and community partners.

The program consists of four weeks of intensive Saturday half-day “workshop labs” consisting of learning, teaching, and mentoring sessions in the spring semester with faculty industry experts to supervise and instruct students. Undergraduate students will be able to put their teaching skills to use by mentoring students in grades 4-8 and serving the larger UH community. After completing the workshops, students will engage in educational research activities guided by the COE faculty.

Relationship to the curriculum:

Students (pre-service teachers) in this program will be recruited primarily from Teacher Education Program at COE. The LEADERS project professionally benefits the students by supporting the following program-level outcomes/curriculum goals:

1. Teach with the latest research-based strategies and modern technologies from a world-class faculty.
2. Future teachers participate in early and continued field experiences, doing the real work of teachers in real Houston-area schools.
3. We value the diversity of our students and the assets they bring to our program, just as we encourage them to value the diversity of their students.
4. We provide a Culture of Inquiry and Professional Responsibility with collaboration with other students, faculty, STEM instructor to better understand teaching and learning and create a Culture of Professional Responsibility.

Community Partners:

• UH-STEM Center
• Department of Curriculum and Instruction (CUIN)
• Teacher Education Program
• ITECH-STEM, and CodeCougars (STEM Curriculum),
• DISTCO (Digital Storytelling Curriculum, Workshops, and Challenges)
• Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS Program (Outreach to underserved population),
• ACES Institute at COE (Reaching out to 3^rd Ward students),
• Local school districts: (Recruitment)
• Faculty from Learning Design and Technology program at COE (Program Development)
• TEACH Houston (Recruitment)
• Computer Science Department at NSM (Undergraduate and STEM Experts).