Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) are in-depth, authentic research experiences available to classroom K-12 teachers. These experiences often pair a teacher with a researcher to assist with an ongoing project or complete an independent, co-developed research project. Teachers are compensated and typically expected to develop ways to share their experience with students during the school year. Funds are also made available to purchase supplies for classroom use and to allow travel to participate and present at a professional conference.
Additionally, another in-depth teacher experience has been to partner with us as Teacher Liaisons or Teachers in Residence to help develop curriculum, field trip or other resources.
At KBS we have a great history of successful RET projects and we strive to acquire funding each year to offer these opportunities.
Current Opportunities:
Switchgrass Nitrogen Fixation with Carmella Vizza
Summer 2021 – 1 RET available
Apply here! by Monday, May 31, 2021
- Who? Middle or High School STEM teachers – within driving distance of Kellogg Biological Station
- Where? W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 East Gull Lake Dr. Hickory Corners, MI 49060
- What? Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) are in-depth, authentic research experiences available to classroom K-12 teachers. These experiences often pair a teacher with a researcher to assist with an ongoing project or complete an independent, co-developed research project. More project details: 2021 RET Description – Vizza & Roley.docx
- When? Mid-June-August (8 weeks, full time (40 hours, week of July 5 off); attend the (virtual) KBS K-12 Partnership Summer Workshop June 22 -24, 2021, LTER Network RET Meetings (virtual), Dates TBD
- Compensation:$8000 stipend for 8 weeks of full time (40 hours/week)$2000 supplies – for personal field gear (ex. waterproof boots and jacket) and/or student supplies for future experiments $1500 for travel to professional conference (likely the LTER All Scientists Meeting in California, fall 2022)
- To help with your application, here’s a word version_2021 RET Application – use to prewrite your application and then cut and paste into the Application Form
- Questions? email Kara and Carmella, karahaas (at ) msu.edu and vizzacar (at) msu.edu
Past Opportunities:
LTER RET 2020-22
The Landis Lab welcomed elementary teachers, Gabe Knowles and Britney Christensen to work on the ReGrow Milkweed for Monarchs Project in summer 2020. Gabe and Britney are returning in 2021 to run a follow up experiment to manipulate milkweed habitat to benefit monarchs and to create lessons to share with teachers!
The metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly and the citizen scientist, blog post by Britney Christensen, 9.11.20
This project is part of the KBS K-12 Partnership and is funded by a supplement to the KBS Long-term Ecological Research program, supported by the National Science Foundation.
National Teachers Researching Evolution, 2018-2020
National Teachers Researching Evolution program
- The first Evolution Education Weekend was held at KBS on Feb. 7-9, 2020 for 2017, 2018 and 2019 RETs
Teaching Evolution in Action, 2015
Program for preservice teachers, a KBS summer experience, hands on courses and working with a cohort to better understand evolution and how to teach it in the secondary classroom. In partnership with BEACON Center for the study of Evolution in Action and MSU’s Department of Teacher Education. Thank you to Jamie Bowman and Jodie McManus for their mentorship. Congratulations to Diontae Matthews, Kathryn Schwartz and Chris Symons for completing the first summer Undergraduate Research Experience for Teachers!
Many thanks to Louise Mead (BEACON), Tomomi Suwa (KBS) and David Stroupe (MSU College of Teacher Edcation) for their leadership and collaboration.
Resources:
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/msu.edu/teachingevolutioninaction/home
Teaching REvoluTion, 2015
This KBS project was funded and implemented in partnership with BEACON. Seven Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), five based at KBS and two based on MSU main campus, were brought together as a cohort over the summer of 2015. RETs were each able to create a lesson that was presented during the KBS K-12 Partnership Summer Institute and provide a session at the BEACON Congress about the impact of RET experiences. Participants were:
- Lau lab: Shaun Davis (Thornapple Kellogg) and Katie McKinley (Mattawan)
- Litchman lab: Connie High (Delton Kellogg)
- Conner lab: Marcia Angle (Lawton) and Cheryl Hach (Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center)
- Lenski lab: Rick Schultz (St. John’s) and Fred Hingst (DeWitt)
- Gross Lab: Ashley Carroll (Gull Lake) (GLBRC RET)
The Landis Lab welcomed elementary teachers, Gabe Knowles and Britney Christensen to work on the ReGrow Milkweed for Monarchs Project in summer 2020. Gabe and Britney are returning in 2021 to run a follow up experiment to manipulate milkweed habitat to benefit monarchs and to create lessons to share with teachers!
The metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly and the citizen scientist, blog post by Britney Christensen, 9.11.20
This project is part of the KBS K-12 Partnership and is funded by a supplement to the KBS Long-term Ecological Research program, supported by the National Science Foundation.
National Teachers Researching Evolution, 2018-2020
National Teachers Researching Evolution program
- The first Evolution Education Weekend was held at KBS on Feb. 7-9, 2020 for 2017, 2018 and 2019 RETs
Teaching Evolution in Action, 2015
Program for preservice teachers, a KBS summer experience, hands on courses and working with a cohort to better understand evolution and how to teach it in the secondary classroom. In partnership with BEACON Center for the study of Evolution in Action and MSU’s Department of Teacher Education. Thank you to Jamie Bowman and Jodie McManus for their mentorship. Congratulations to Diontae Matthews, Kathryn Schwartz and Chris Symons for completing the first summer Undergraduate Research Experience for Teachers!
Many thanks to Louise Mead (BEACON), Tomomi Suwa (KBS) and David Stroupe (MSU College of Teacher Edcation) for their leadership and collaboration.
Resources:
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/msu.edu/teachingevolutioninaction/home
Teaching REvoluTion, 2015
This KBS project was funded and implemented in partnership with BEACON. Seven Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), five based at KBS and two based on MSU main campus, were brought together as a cohort over the summer of 2015. RETs were each able to create a lesson that was presented during the KBS K-12 Partnership Summer Institute and provide a session at the BEACON Congress about the impact of RET experiences. Participants were:
- Lau lab: Shaun Davis (Thornapple Kellogg) and Katie McKinley (Mattawan)
- Litchman lab: Connie High (Delton Kellogg)
- Conner lab: Marcia Angle (Lawton) and Cheryl Hach (Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center)
- Lenski lab: Rick Schultz (St. John’s) and Fred Hingst (DeWitt)
- Gross Lab: Ashley Carroll (Gull Lake) (GLBRC RET)
Program for preservice teachers, a KBS summer experience, hands on courses and working with a cohort to better understand evolution and how to teach it in the secondary classroom. In partnership with BEACON Center for the study of Evolution in Action and MSU’s Department of Teacher Education. Thank you to Jamie Bowman and Jodie McManus for their mentorship. Congratulations to Diontae Matthews, Kathryn Schwartz and Chris Symons for completing the first summer Undergraduate Research Experience for Teachers!
Many thanks to Louise Mead (BEACON), Tomomi Suwa (KBS) and David Stroupe (MSU College of Teacher Edcation) for their leadership and collaboration.
Resources:
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/msu.edu/teachingevolutioninaction/home
Teaching REvoluTion, 2015
This KBS project was funded and implemented in partnership with BEACON. Seven Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), five based at KBS and two based on MSU main campus, were brought together as a cohort over the summer of 2015. RETs were each able to create a lesson that was presented during the KBS K-12 Partnership Summer Institute and provide a session at the BEACON Congress about the impact of RET experiences. Participants were:
- Lau lab: Shaun Davis (Thornapple Kellogg) and Katie McKinley (Mattawan)
- Litchman lab: Connie High (Delton Kellogg)
- Conner lab: Marcia Angle (Lawton) and Cheryl Hach (Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center)
- Lenski lab: Rick Schultz (St. John’s) and Fred Hingst (DeWitt)
- Gross Lab: Ashley Carroll (Gull Lake) (GLBRC RET)
Questions or faculty interested in creating an RET, please contact Kara Haas.
A legacy of conservation; a commitment to sustainability.
3700 E. Gull Lake Drive
Hickory Corners, MI 49060
(269) 671-5117
info@kbs.msu.edu