RMSREE Fellows will be supported as scientists and educators before, during, and after their Summer Research Experience.

Before your RMSREE summer:

RMSREE Pre-Program Zoom Meetings: Meet other members of your cohort, the Program Directors and other personnel to prepare for the summer experience ahead and build camaraderie and rapport.

During your RMSREE summer:

RMSREE  Lab Orientation and Program Kick-Off: The cohort of teacher participants will gather with the Program Directors and past year participants during the first week of the RMSREE in person experience. Prior participants will speak briefly about their experience, their classroom transitions and challenges and successes after RMSREE. Prior participants will answer questions and assist the new cohort in getting off to a terrific start in their RMSREE experience.

RMSREE Seminars and Forums Series: This weekly gathering will be the main thread that ties together each Fellow's unique research experience. These meetings will cover a series of topics (e.g. "How to read scientific literature", "Responsible conduct of research", and "Do's and Don'ts for successful scientific presentations") in both seminar and panel format. Each Fellow will be an active participant in the week's topic and have ample opportunity to ask questions and translate the week's topic to their own teaching. Time will be set aside as "strucutred-unstructured time" for each cohort of participants to brainstorm together on new classroom material and translation of research lab experiences to meaningful modules for their students.

Individual Mentored Research Experience: Fellows will be immersed in the research program of a faculty mentor in order to fully experience the day-to-day process of "doing science": formulating a question, designing investigations to address the question, and analyzing data to arrive at an answer to the question. Fellows will work alongside other laboratory members (undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and research staff). The process for matching a Fellow to a Mentor will be undertaken with utmost care to align interests, goals, and strengths between all participants, setting all Fellows up for success.

RMSREE Cohort Research Lab Tours: In addition to each participant's main laboratory experience, the entire RMSREE cohort will spend a half to full day in a handful of other laboratories on campus. Depending on the individual lab's research, these sessions might include touring an imaging facility, watching an experiment take place, listening to topic talks, and/or hands-on participation in experiments. Highlights of the 2022 program included synthesizing hydrogels, counting virus particles, and touring the Biomechatronic lab.

Proposal to Incorporate Additional STEM Content and Experience in Teaching: Fellows are expected to add significant STEM content to their classroom by the end of their first year of participation and maintain that level for the five-year period following their program experience. By considering and answering a detailed set of questions, Fellows will formulate a 2-page proposal outlining tangible ways in which the research experience can be transferred into their classroom experience, including, but not limited to, bio- and health-tailored education modules, hands-on experiments, or field trips. The goals outlined in the proposal will be integrated into each Fellow's Professional Development Plan.

RMSREE Professional Development Plan (PDP): This "living document" will be an individualized touchstone to facilitate conversation between each teacher participant, their mentor and other program personnel, and their principal or department head regarding each participants specific career objectives. The PDP will be continually revised and updated as each Fellow progresses through their RMSREE period and other STEM and education enrichment activities. The PDP will be focused to include targeted goals and tangible steps that will be taken to achieve them.

After your RMSREE summer:

RMSREE Fellow's Retreat and Follow-Up Sessions: Fellows will not be left on their own after the completion of their Summer Research Experience. A Fellow's Retreat will be held the following January to provide ample opportunity to evaluate their progess toward the professional development goals set during their Summer program experience and revise curriculum modules and expectations for the next academic term.

RMSREE "Second Summer": Previous year's teacher participants will return for 4 of the "Seminars and Forums" sessions in the years following their experience. They will meet the new cohort of Fellows and reconnect with their cohort and the program personnel. Time during these gatherings will be devoted to continued refinement and improvement of their STEM classroom content and professional development. During the first week of the following RMSREE program, past participants will meet the incoming cohort, share lessons and tips from their RMSREE experience, and have time to reconnect with their own year's cohort.