Project BEST is an accelerated one-year teacher preparation program designed by The University of Findlay and subsidized by a CORE Support grant from the Ohio Department of Education. Project BEST aims to develop Life Science and Integrated Science teachers who will be prepared to work effectively with culturally diverse students and families, utilizing state of the art science practices. The program will recruit 30 college graduates, both teachers and other mid-career professionals, who have a background in science and a desire to teach science to adolescent students. The program will be conducted through eight courses (24 semester hours) on a trimester framework, beginning August, 2008. Participants will be taking two courses at a time, allowing them to earn 24 semester hours over four sessions in 12 months. Each course will be 90% online, with monthly face-to-face sessions scheduled on Saturdays. Participants will also need to log 90 hours of field experiences over the year. In addition, there will be an intensive one-week, face-to-face institute on campus July 20-24, 2009, that culminates in participants developing a web-based science laboratory demonstration.

Click here to hear comments from participants in the first BeST cohort.

Questions may be addressed to David Rossman via Phone: 419-434-4512 or Email: rossman@findlay.edu.