Two East Peoria Community High School teachers are attending summer school for the next three years.
Jason Bowman, a chemistry teacher, and Michael Mayers, a physics teacher, have been accepted into the Teacher Leader Fellows Program, EnLiST.
EnLiST, short for Entrepreneurial Leadership in Stem Teaching and Learning, is a partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois school districts. It is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The three-year program combines summer institutes at the Champaign-Urbana campus and in-school professional development activities for teachers to enrich classroom curriculum.
“EnLiST takes several content and philosophical strategies and uses them to enrich the typical high school classroom,” said Bowman, who has taught at EPCHS for four years. “Their idea is to teach us how to improve instruction and to give us the resources in order to do so.”
Bowman and Mayers were encouraged to apply for the fellowship by high school principal Paul Whittington.
“It is an opportunity for teachers to engage with other science teachers all dedicated to professional development, new ideas and added learning for students,” said Whittington.
Since the teachers are returning to school, EnLiST provides Bowman and Mayers with Continuing Professional Development Units and credit hours in graduate coursework.
For Bowman, who completed his master’s degree last year, the task of going back to school is an added bonus.
“As a teacher, I also try to make my students lifelong learners. I feel that I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t practice what I teach. Therefore, furthering my education is important to me,” said Bowman.
The teachers officially accepted the opportunity to participate in early February to guarantee a spot since there was a waiting list.
The two said they are looking forward to working together as a group to ensure the “best classroom practices” are being used.
“The very nature of the program will allow easy implementation into my classroom,” Bowman said.
“When I encounter something that greatly benefits instruction, it will be shared with my department during our meetings.”
Whittington wants to show students and parents that the teachers at EPCHS are trying to provide the best education to the students.
“The enrollment in EnLiST shows dedication of teachers who do the outside stuff and find rewarding things for the students,” said Whittington.
In comparison, Bowman finds that the ultimate winners of the program are the students.
“This opportunity will help student learning, and that is the main goal of educators,” Bowman said.
For more information on the EnLiST program, visit the Web site at www.enlist.illinois.edu.
