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Instructions for Preparing the 2012 Arkansas STRIVE Program Application

Application Due: On or before Friday, February 17, 2012.

General Information:

The Arkansas STRIVE Program is designed to place secondary school math, computer, and science teachers in research positions in industries, research agencies, or academic institutions for eight weeks in the summer. By working with professional researchers, you will become more aware of the types of skills and the knowledge your students need in today's technological workplace. Because we want your experiences to have the greatest impact on your school and students, you must recruit five educators willing to serve on your "STRIVE Team." The five educators will attend three knowledge transfer and curriculum planning meetings in the fall. One of the meetings will be a visit to your research site. The end product of these meetings will be a report recommending curriculum changes for your school or district. You should ensure that STRIVE Team members are fully aware of their commitments.

Eligibility:

You must be a full-time teacher in a middle, junior high, or senior high school in Arkansas. You must also be certified in and primarily teach science, math, or technology. Teachers who participated in STRIVE from 1990-2006 are eligible to participate again whereas those from later years are not eligible.

A Complete Application Consists Of:

1. The application form signed by your principal and STRIVE Team members.

2. Two reference letters, including one from your principal (send separately).

3. A copy of your teaching certificate.

4. A transcript from each institution from which you have received a degree.

Letters of Recommendation:

The two letters of recommendation should be typed on the recommendation forms included with the application form. The letters should describe your professional qualifications and give specific reasons why the writer thinks you will be an outstanding Arkansas STRIVE participant. One of the letters must come from your principal or superintendent. The second letter should come from your department chair or another teaching professional.

Stipend:

The stipend for the Arkansas STRIVE Program is $4,500. STRIVE pays $2,100 of your stipend and your mentor/sponsor pays $2,400. The stipend is paid in installments. The last installment is paid after the completion of the fall follow-up activities with the teacher's STRIVE Team.

STRIVE Team:

An applicant in the STRIVE program needs to recruit other teachers to serve on his/her STRIVE advisory committee ("STRIVE Team"). The purposes of the STRIVE Team are to provide you with advice on your summer research project and help in applying your new knowledge and experience into your school's program. The Team can also help inform other teachers about the opportunities in STRIVE. You need to ask five teachers to serve on your STRIVE team. The team members do not have to be former STRIVE participants. The team members should be secondary school science, math, and computer teachers. If you cannot find enough Team members in your school, you can ask teachers within your school district. The STRIVE Team members will not have to invest a large amount of time. Two meetings can be conducted at your school in the fall during a time that is convenient for everyone and does not require missing classes. In one meeting, you will describe your summer project to your committee. In another meeting, you will discuss ways and write a plan to incorporate your summer experience and new knowledge into your school's program. The third meeting involves taking your Team members to your research site and showing them where you were working, what you were doing, and with whom you were working. Since your research site may only be open during business hours, your Team may have to take time off from school to visit the site or visit the site in the summer. Often, the visit can be conducted after school. STRIVE does not provide a stipend for teachers that serve on your Team.

Placement:

STRIVE matches your interests and skills with the needs of potential research sponsors. We try to place teachers within 35 miles of their homes. If we are unable to find an appropriate research site within 35 miles, we can provide some mileage reimbursement for teachers who can travel farther. Each year about half of our positions are with sponsors who have been with our program for many years and who support several teachers: e.g., University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, National Center for Toxicological Research near Pine Bluff, and State-wide Systemic Initiative. The other positions are recruited each year depending on the teacher's location, skills, and interest. Sponsors pay $2400 of each teacher's stipend and our State funds pay $2100. If you provide us with a good description of your background, then it is easier for us to find a sponsor matching your background. Furthermore, some teachers have a research site in mind and know a contact person. Often, good contact people are someone that you know from civic groups, church, or your children's activities. We would appreciate learning about the contact person. We often can arrange for you to work at a site that you suggest or you can arrange your opportunity, providing that the experience matches the goals of our program and that the sponsor can provide $2400. We welcome suggestions for work sites and help in finding an ideal opportunity in your area. Sponsors often are interested in working with a teacher when they meet the teacher in person.

Sites:

The following list of abbreviations for research sites may be useful when completing the research site selection part of your application. Other research sites around the state will be solicited. The 2011 program had 15 research sites which included industries, state and federal government agencies, UA Agricultural Research Centers,UA Cooperative Extension Centers, hospitals, and other institutions such as:

UAF............... University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

UALR ............ University of Arkansas at Little Rock

NCTR ............ National Center for Toxicological Research (outside Pine Bluff)

UAMS ........... University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock)

ADHE ........... Centers for Math and Science Education at various universities

OTHER...........Other site that you might suggest for know about.

Other sites and supporters are shown in the STRIVE brochure (Information for Teachers); however, you can be placed at any site in your area that can provide a valuable opportunity in science, math, or technology, and can provide $2,400 of your stipend. You may not think that there are opportunities in your area because there are no large research facilities or large industries. However, every county has municipal and state government offices, extension centers, chambers of commerce, hospitals, and small businesses. These sites can provide interesting opportunities.

Applying:

We encourage you to be as neat (e.g., type) and as complete as possible in filling out your application. Not only will this help us select and place teachers, but it will help potential sponsors choose teachers to meet their needs. Many sponsors ask for a pool of applications and then choose the person(s) who best fits their needs. A neat, well-constructed application can make a difference in where you are placed!

If you would like an application form, you can download and print a form from our website. You can also contact the Arkansas STRIVE staff and we will mail or FAX you an application form.

Should you have questions, please contact us:

Dr. Jim Winter (501-569-8069)

or Dr. Janet Lanza (501-569-3500)

2012 Arkansas STRIVE Program Schedule:

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