BOISE DISTRICT EDUCATORS WIN GRANTS TO IMPROVE SCIENCE EDUCATION

M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Washington, recently awarded 15 grants of $15,000 each (totaling $225,000) to improve science education in the Pacific Northwest through its Partners in Science Program. These awards will enable outstanding high school science teachers to form partnerships with research scientists to conduct basic science research during the next two summers in academic and research institutions in the Pacific Northwest. Following each summer of research, the teachers will share their research at both regional and national Partners in Science Conferences, also funded by this award.

These grants are awarded through a competitive process in the Partners in Science program at Murdock Trust. Applications are accepted from high school teachers and mentors from a five-state region to conduct summer research. The primary goal of the Partners in Science Program is to provide high school science teachers with the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of science; revitalize their teaching; develop new, inquiry-based teaching strategies; and encourage students to pursue science careers. The selection of awardees is based on the qualifications of the partner members, the quality of the scientific research proposed, and the potential of its impact on the high school setting."

(From press release February 26, 2015 from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust):

Two teachers were awarded this grant from the Boise School District last year and will complete their second year of research this summer at Boise State University. Jeremy Thompson of Borah High School will continue his research on barn owl fatalities with Dr. James Belthoff along the freeway near Twin Falls and John Doherty of Capital High School will continue working on prostate cancer with Dr. Cheryl Jorcyk.

In February of this year, seven out of the fifteen awards were given to Idaho high school science teachers. Three of those teachers are from the Boise School District and will be conducting research with science professors from Boise State University for the next two summers. Sharon Cates of Capital High School will be studying environmental chemistry of aqueous Buckminsterfullerence colloids with Dr. Kevin Ausman. DJ Eberlin from Borah High School will be studying post-fire erosion in the wildland urban interface with Dr. Jennifer Pierce and Gina Lockwood (not pictured), also from Borah High School will be studying the role of structural and chemical diversity in the sagebrush steppe with Dr. Jennifer Forbey.