Gonzaga Science in Summer! Teacher and Facilitator Application
A. Program Description
Gonzaga Science Research Program is currently seeking a science teacher to work as a facilitator with
our Science in Summer! (SIS) outreach program for high school students. Each year the SIS program
brings five high school interns (between their junior and senior year) onto campus for 4 ½ weeks, during
which they complete a full-time, paid internship in the research lab of a Gonzaga faculty member.
Interns work closely with a Gonzaga undergraduate mentor and a faculty member to develop a
research question that they can investigate over the course of the month. Some of the goals of the
program include:
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Students will get to experience life on a college campus as part of the research community,
while learning about possible careers in the sciences. We hope this experience will help
students develop their post-high school plans (and possibly encourage them to pursue a future
in science!)
Students will gain job skills and experience which will assist them as they transition from high
school to college and future employment.
Along with hosting five high school interns, we are also hiring a science teacher to participate in SIS.
This will allow our program to impact a greater number of students via the work that the teacher takes
back to their home classroom, and will also allow for better facilitation of the on campus portion of the
program. Details of the teacher responsibilities can be found on the following page, but the overall
goals are:
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For the teacher to have the opportunity to do research in a university lab, and use that
experience to enrich their teaching back in the classroom. Approximately 50% of work hours
will be spent working on a small individual research project in one of Gonzaga’s existing labs.
Provide daily support and structure for the five high school interns participating in SIS. This
includes: regularly checking in with students during the work week to monitor their progress;
assisting students with background reading comprehension, writing research proposals, and
putting together their final presentations; and facilitating team building activities and events.
Funding for the teacher position includes a stipend of $2500. Housing and meals on the Gonzaga
campus are available for applicants who do not live in the Spokane area.
The SIS internship program will begin on Monday June 29th and end on Tuesday July 28th. The teacher
is expected to work full time (40 hours per week) during that time period. We ask that the teacher also
be available for one full day during the preceding week to assist with set-up and preparing for the
students’ arrival.
Applications are due June 5th.
Any questions? Contact the Science Outreach Coordinator, Rachel Zack, at zack@gonzaga.edu or
509-313-6642.
B. Responsibilities of SIS Teacher/Facilitator
Teacher research project
One important goal for the Science in Summer! program is to provide a professional development
opportunity for science teachers. This includes the following:
 The teacher will spend approximately half their time working on an individual research project.
The Science Outreach Coordinator will assist in identifying potential lab placements. The
project undertaken by the teacher could be in an area of prior interest that they wish to explore
further or in a new area that they would like to learn something about.
 The teacher will work together with the faculty member in whose lab they are working to
develop a small research project that is useful and feasible given the timing of the program.
The teacher will go through many of the same steps that the students do in their project
development (i.e. reading primary literature, learning new techniques, etc.), but the teacher is
expected to take a more independent and proactive role in this process.
 If possible/applicable, develop classroom activities that will link your research project to your
school’s regular science curriculum.
Supervising student research progress
A university research lab environment can be an unfamiliar and challenging place for a high school
student to work. For this reason, the high school teacher plays a crucial role in providing the daily
structure that helps enable student success. This work takes on many different forms, some of which
including:
 Develop a rapport with students and serve as a role model and resource if they have questions.
 Check in with all five interns 1-2 times per day to track their progress in their research and
discuss any questions/concerns/successes.
 Assist students in working through the background reading and primary literature related to their
research.
 Read and provide feedback on student research proposals.
 Be on the lookout for any problems that may arise with scheduling, work hours, group
dynamics, student frustration, etc. Work pro-actively with program staff, students, and faculty
participants to help identify and solve any problems that arise.
 Communicate regularly with the Science Outreach Coordinator regarding student progress and
SIS program events.
 View and provide feedback on the students’ final presentations.
 Work with the Science Outreach Coordinator to plan and run program events and meetings.
These include: orientation on the first day; weekly meetings with interns; weekly meetings with
the undergraduate mentors; and team building events.
Team building and mentoring outside of lab
An important part of this position is facilitating the development of a community among the high school
students during the month that they are at Gonzaga. Examples of this type of work includes:
 Attend lunch in the cafeteria with students when possible.
 Serve as an emergency contact person for out-of-town students staying in the dorms.
 Plan and facilitate 3 team building activities and events for students and mentors. Past events
have included pizza & science movie nights, a career panel discussion with guests, science
trivia nights, lunchtime volleyball, etc.
To apply: Return the completed application below, plus an attached resume, to Rachel Zack by
email (zack@gonzaga.edu) on or before June 5th, 2015.
C. General information
Name:
Email:
Phone number:
Mailing address:
Current work or
school position:
D. Work Experience
Please include an updated resume as a separate attachment when emailing in your application.
E. Supplementary Questions
1. Please describe the goals you hope to accomplish through participation in Gonzaga’s Science in
Summer! program.
2. Do you have any previous research experience? If so, describe it briefly. As a teacher, why are
you interested in spending a portion of your summer doing a research project?
3. Is there any other pertinent information we should consider when reviewing your application? For
example: previous mentoring experience not on your resume; other summer plans or time constraints;
or any other relevant information.
F. References
Please list up to 3 references we may contact regarding your application.
Reference 1
Name:
Relationship to you:
Telephone:
Email:
Reference 2
Name:
Relationship to you:
Telephone:
Email:
Reference 3
Name:
Relationship to you:
Telephone:
Email:
Please select one:
The information provided by my references will remain confidential.
The information provided by my references will not remain confidential.