College of Education and Human Development

Virginia Tech Joins VISTA Project

Science teachers in southwest Virginia can now more easily take advantage of free professional development programs from VISTA, thanks to Virginia Tech's participation as the fourth  site in the state.

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Elementary teachers and middle/high school science teachers in southwest Virginia can enroll now in free professional development programs at Virginia Tech, which will be partnering with the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) as an implementation site for the first time in 2013.

The VISTA Elementary Science Institute, which serves teachers in grades 4-6, will begin at Virginia Tech in June 2013. This four-week program focuses on increasing elementary teachers' knowledge of science and improving their ability to teach science. The deadline to apply is February 28.

Virginia Tech will also deliver the Secondary Teacher Program starting in August 2013, which provides two graduate-level courses for middle and high school science teachers with zero to one years of experience. These courses are presented over a two-year period in the fall semesters. Applications for this program will be accepted through late summer.

Participants in both programs receive individualized coaching from master teachers throughout the year, stipends from $2,000 to $5,000, paid travel expenses, and $1000 for classroom science supplies.

George Mason University is the lead institution on the VISTA project. Virginia Tech has been heading up rural recruitment since the initiative’s launch in 2010, and now joins George Mason University, the College of William & Mary, and Virginia Commonwealth as VISTA’s fourth implementation site. The Virginia Tech site will make participation in these professional development activities more feasible for elementary teachers and middle/high school science teachers in the southwest area of the state.

John Wells, associate professor in Virginia Tech’s School of Education and graduate program leader of Virginia Tech’s Integrative STEM Education program, will serve as the on-site principal investigator and oversee the program at Virginia Tech. Amy Bordeaux will lead delivery of the two programs at Virginia Tech. Bordeaux started her career as a middle school science teacher at James Madison Middle School in Roanoke City Public Schools, taught science methods courses in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University, and has been involved in recruiting and coaching for VISTA.

More information and applications for the VISTA program can be found at http://vista.gmu.edu.

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About VISTA

The Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement (VISTA) is a statewide partnership among 60+ Virginia school districts, six Virginia universities, and the Virginia Department of Education. Its goal is to translate research-based best teaching practices into improved science teaching and student learning for all students at all levels. The initiative, which is working to build a community of practice across the Commonwealth, is funded by a five-year, $34 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Investing in Innovation program, which includes a $5.7 million private sector matching requirement. Learn more at http://vista.gmu.edu.

VISTA educational partners include George Mason University, the College of William & Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, James Madison University, the Virginia Department of Education, and Oregon State University. VISTA corporate partners include Northrop Grumman, Micron Foundation, Boeing, CGI, and Merck, with additional support provided by Dominion, ExploreLearning, IBM, and the Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST).

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 215 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 30,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $450 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

About George Mason University

George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in education, engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University—Where Innovation Is Tradition.

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For additional information:

• Jill Williams, VISTA, jwilli46@gmu.edu - (703) 993-5396
• Jean Elliott, Virginia Tech, elliottj@vt.edu - (540) 231-5915
• Catherine Probst, George Mason University, cprobst2@gmu.edu - (703) 993-8813

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