Preuss School Educators to Participate in Smithsonian’s Teacher Innovator Institute

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Anne Artz

Science teachers from The Preuss School UC San Diego – Anne Artz, Shaoni Bandyopadhyay and Ted Kim – have been selected to participate in the Teacher Innovator Institute at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The inaugural institute will teach middle-school educators how to bring the museum experience into their classrooms by exploring connections between informal STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and authentic learning.

Shaoni Bandyopadhyay

The two-week immersive program will welcome this summer a cohort of 30 teachers from across the country. Located on the campus of the University of California San Diego, The Preuss School is a charter middle and high school for low-income students who strive to become the first in their families to graduate from college.

“We are proud of our dedicated teachers who were chosen to participate in this prestigious program,” said Scott Barton, principal of The Preuss School. “We look forward to seeing the teachers implement what they learn at the institute here at Preuss for the benefit of our students.”

Ted Kim

The Teacher Innovation Institute will include hands-on activities, museum tours, behind-the-scenes museum experiences, visits to other museums and group work. Participants will benefit from the expertise of museum educators and content experts and be able to use aerospace science, history and technology to shape their ideas about authentic learning and bring informal education techniques to their classrooms.

Educators invited to attend the program had to commit two weeks each summer for three summers. During those two weeks, they will actively participate in sessions led by Smithsonian staff and guests, as well as propose and complete an independent project.

To learn more about the program, visit the National Air and Space Museum’s website.