TRC: Science Collaboratives

UT-Pan American Regional Collaborative / Edinburg

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Mission

Master’s degree with the emphasis on teaching science for secondary teachers including four science content courses in the College of Science and Engineering. Master's degree for elementary teachers, including four science methods course, one for each of the four TAKS objectives.
Annual Science Achievement Day for teachers to help them motivate and engage their students in inquiry science.
Mini-grants for teachers to implement special science activities for students
Networking

Support for Students

Future Scientist Program and other afterschool science clubs
Science Inquiry Groups
Science Achievement Days to enable them to share their science achievements and receive recognition for their accomplishments.
An annual science essay writing content with local television station and HESTEC involving NASA space exploration programs.

Support for Parents

Relevant, meaningful science information that students share with their parents from science information learned at school
Information about science careers that their children can pursue
Financial aid information about financial resources available to their children to pursue careers in science and science-related professions

Accomplishments

The UTPA Collaborative has served hundreds of students and their teachers. Over 100 teachers have completed master’s degrees and many have implemented instructional strategies that have raised the level of science achievement of their students. Several hundred students have participated in the science inquiry projects and science achievement days. The Collaborative provides leadership preparation for teachers, many of whom have become science leaders in their school districts. Three collaborative teachers now serve as district science supervisors and three serve as elementary/middle school science program area coordinators for their districts and two serve as middle school mathematics program area coordinators. One collaborative teacher now serves as his district's technology coordinator and another collaborative teacher serves as the associate director of HESTEC.