West Chicago teacher to intern at Fermilab

West Chicago Community High School math and science teacher Eduardo Montoya has been chosen by Fermilab to participate in the lab's Teacher Research Associate Intern Program this summer.

According to Fermilab's website, the goals of the program are to provide outstanding science, mathematics, computer science and technology teachers with professional scientific, engineering or technical experiences through summer research opportunities.

The teacher's increased awareness and understanding of cutting-edge science and technology can be transferred back to the classroom. Teachers are assigned mentors and jobs that best match the teacher's skills and interest with the available opportunities for the summer.

Appointments are for a period of eight weeks. Selection is based on the applicant's educational and professional qualifications, commitment to teaching, references, compatibility of scientific interests with resources available at Fermilab, and the expected benefits of the research opportunity to the applicant.

Preference is given to applicants from schools and districts that emphasize and support the development of this research experience into programs that may be transferred back into the classroom.

"As the science division prepares to enter its new, student-centered learning spaces next year, we are also charged with the integration of the Next Generation Science Standards," West Chicago science division head Scott Albright said.

"The NGSS are heavily focused on students participating in the process of science instead of learning science facts and concepts in isolation.

"The internship at Fermilab will provide Eduardo with an immersion back into actively doing science daily. He will practice the same skills and mental processes that we are charged with embedding into our division for students. This experience will no doubt provide him an excellent transition to NGSS, but it will also serve to build our collective capacity as we will look to him as a resource."

Montoya has taught at West Chicago since 2001.

For details on Fermilab's Teacher Research Associate Intern Program, visit ed.fnal.gov/interns/programs/trac/index.shtml.