This project, Partners in Elementary Science (PIES), is designed to improve elementary science education by strengthening the confidence of elementary school teachers in teaching process/inquiry science in the classroom; helping elementary teachers link science activities to other academic areas, especially writing; and assisting principals in developing strategies to improve their elementary science programs. Fifty teachers, designated as National Science Foundation Fellows, will be selected from five representative school systems in western Massachusetts as participants for the first year of the project. The school systems represent different types of communities ranging from urbanized centers to rural communities. The project will include Saturday workshops, a three-week summer institute focused on inquiry/process methodology in the life sciences and physical sciences, support during the academic year for the National Science Foundation Fellows including classroom assistance, and monthly workshops and seminars for principals regarding their role as instructional and organizational leaders. Math/science programs of the Western Massachusetts Five College Public School Partnership as well as community resource centers, such as the Hitchcock Center in Amherst, will provide continuous support for the project. Excellent support from the school districts will insure implementation of the project's objectives.
