The Colorado Alliance for Science has formed a partnership with 14 school districts and Adams State College in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Their model project is designed to improve the teaching of science at the elementary level in a rural area by building on local and state resources. Since this area is so isolated the main or only source of science education support for most of the elementary teachers is the secondary school science teacher in their building. This project aims to take advantage of that relationship by educating the elementary and secondary school teachers together. During the program, the elementary school teachers will be introduced to the content, pedagogy, and new curricular materials available for teaching science to young children and the secondary school science teachers will be introduced to materials, and ideas which should allow them to become better resources for their elementary school colleagues. Teams made up two elementary school teachers, one secondary school teacher and one principal will participate in the three week summer institutes conducted over a three year period. At the conclusion of each team's institute, the teachers and administrator will select the science program or collection of science programs to be adopted and supported by the local system. In addition to the on-going support provided by the secondary science teachers, six in-service sessions will be conducted throughout the school year. These sharing sessions will continue with support from the Colorado Alliance for Science after the NSF grant is completed as a method for maintaining support for teachers and a means of capturing community interest. The cost sharing for the proposal will be at least 43% of the NSF portion.
