Educators across the island are being invited to participate in the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) summer attachment programme next week.

The free five-day professional development initiative aims to advance the knowledge of teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Activities get under way on Monday, August 8 with a virtual workshop, which will be held over three days.

A two-day tour of the SRC, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and other entities within the Hope Gardens Complex will close off the programme.

Interested teachers are required to complete a registration form, which can be found on the SRC’s website and submit their résumé for consideration.

Coordinator for the Science and Technology Education Unit at the SRC Kavelle Hylton told JIS News that, through the initiative, the entity is targeting improvement in students’ performance in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

She noted that while it is tailored for primary and secondary-level educators, early childhood teachers are welcome to join to advance their knowledge in STEM.

Hylton noted that the professional development programme, which was on a break for seven years, has been given “a fresh look”.

“Most of our programmes target students but we understand that in order to make a greater impact, we definitely need to empower our teachers,” Hylton said.

She noted that the workshop component “is very important because it includes looking at integrating STEM into the curriculum for these teachers. It also looks at the industry and STEM careers”.

The session will include presentations by industry experts on topics such as tissue culture, food chemistry, and microbiology.

At the end of the workshop the educators will be able to create meaningful and engaging classroom experiences for their students.

“By learning the different techniques… teachers can implement them in the classroom to make [learning] more fun and bring science alive to create an interest in students to pursue a career in STEM,” Hylton said.

In addition to knowledge building, the initiative aims to enhance the educators’ STEM-focused investigation skills.

“This is a very worthwhile programme for teachers, and I’m definitely imploring teachers to take this opportunity,” she added.