In partnership with the Yidan Prize and Mastercard Foundation, the Fellowship program promotes research-based teaching and learning practices in STEM education.

PhET Interactive Simulations, a University of Colorado Boulder project, welcomes 35 new Fellows from 27 countries to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in schools and universities across Latin America and Africa.

This year’s cohort includes 16 Fellows in Latin America and 19 in Africa. From high school math teachers to physics professors, the Fellows are teacher leaders who are committed to transforming STEM education in their respective countries. They join 32 inaugural 2022 Fellows.

This program is part of the PhET Global initiative, supported by the Yidan Prize Foundation as part of the prize project activities of 2020 Laureate Professor Carl Wieman.

A scientific approach to STEM teaching and learning

Education is a fundamental driver of economic growth and social development. The World Economic Forum predicts that inclusive, innovative, and future-proof education can add more than $2.5 trillion in increased productivity to global GDP.

It’s essential that we find innovative ways to engage and educate the next generation in STEM subjects. In classrooms today, we have future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who need to build a deep understanding of the world and develop problem-solving skills to tackle the greatest challenges of our time.

Professor Carl Wieman, founder of PhET Interactive Simulations, and 2020 Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate, said: “I am delighted to welcome this second cohort of PhET Fellows. The Fellows are an outstanding group of educators who are doing so much to extend the use of PhET simulations to improve science and math education in Africa and Latin America.”

Through the PhET Fellowship, Fellows will promote robust teacher communities and advance students’ access to quality STEM education, reaching at least 1,800 teachers across the two continents. Together, they will accelerate the uptake of research-based math and science teaching and learning approaches through PhET simulations and build a community of local STEM experts.

PhET Interactive Simulations give educators and students free access to a collection of over 160 engaging, game-like simulations to support STEM learning. The simulations are designed to encourage discovery and exploration, making invisible science phenomena visible by using interactive visual models.

The simulations can be run online or offline and have been translated into 114 languages, including relevant local languages.

The PhET Fellowship will nurture each Fellow’s teaching skills and leadership growth for 18 months, as they continue in their full-time roles. The program will take place in two phases. First, Fellows will spend 80+ hours of professional learning building skills and knowledge of PhET resources. Then, they will have 70+ hours of leadership practice to support teachers’ use of PhET simulations across their regions.

A growing group of changemakers

Across Latin America and Africa, the PhET Fellowship is building a growing network of STEM ambassadors.

In Uruguay, Álvaro Suárez created a government-approved PhET course for secondary physics teachers. The Ministry of Education and Culture is also collaborating with the PhET Team and recently launched a PhET workshop as part of their professional development program for math and science teachers in the country.

In Colombia, Diego Fernando Rodríguez González and Paola González Valcárcel are working with the Bogotá Secretariat of Education to offer a government-approved PhET workshop, supplementing the government’s efforts to build up a STEM teacher community of practice.

Godfrey Odhiambo, a physics teacher in Kenya, works with hundreds of special education teachers to incorporate PhET simulations into their lessons. Many PhET simulations have inclusive features, such as alternative input and voicing, allowing him to provide support to teachers at schools for the deaf and the visually impaired.

In The Gambia, Muhammed Chuka Joof is advising the Gambian government via the Committee for Education. He is bringing PhET Interactive Simulations into Gambia College, the country’s leading institution for preparing teachers, which will have a ripple effect for STEM teaching and learning in schools across the country.

PhET Ambassador, Zach Mbasu, said: “These proactive educators are using PhET Interactive Simulations and related pedagogies to change math and science instruction in African classrooms. They skillfully select simulations to enrich their own lessons. Additionally, they help other teachers discover and explore new methods that make their lessons more engaging for students to understand STEM concepts.”

PhET Ambassador, Diana López, said: “The main agents of educational change are the teachers. The PhET Fellows have a great commitment to teaching and are motivated by wanting to positively impact not only their students but the entire Latin American region. The PhET Fellowship program is often the push they need to work toward their ideals and become educational leaders. They find an international community with which they quickly connect, as they meet other teachers with the same vision, urgency, and call for action to improve education.”

As they start the program, the 2023 Fellows share some of their ambitions. They want to inspire teacher leaders, share skills, and use digital technology to transform the quality and impact of STEM teaching.

Teachers have access to thousands of free lesson plans and homework assignments by registering for a PhET account. They can learn more about webinars, workshops, and programs here.

ABOUT PHET INTERACTIVE SIMULATIONS

PhET Interactive Simulations, developed at the University of Colorado Boulder, is a collection of more than 160 free, flexible simulations to help students explore math and science through game-like environments. Since 2002, PhET has developed interactive simulations through research, co-design, and user testing, advancing educational technology design and what is known about how learners make sense of STEM concepts. PhET simulations are a leading STEM resource and have broad adoption by STEM teachers worldwide, with more than 250 million online uses annually.

ABOUT THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian Foundation and one of the world’s largest foundations, with a mission to advance education and financial inclusion. It works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. The Foundation is an independent organization and separate from the company. Its policies, operations, and programs are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.

For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org.

ABOUT THE YIDAN PRIZE

The Yidan Prize Foundation is a global philanthropic foundation, with a mission of creating a better world through education. Through its prize and network of innovators, the Yidan Prize Foundation supports ideas and practices in educations—specifically, ones with the power to positively change lives and society. The Yidan Prize is an inclusive education accolade that recognizes individuals or teams who have contributed significantly to the theory and practice of education. It consists of two prizes, working in harmony: the Yidan Prize for Education Research and the Yidan Prize for Education Development. They’re designed for impact: laureates receive a project fund of HK$15 million over three years, helping them scale up their work, as well as a gold medal and a cash prize of HK$15 million (shared equally for teams).

Credit: Photo by Diana Lopez, licensed under CC BY 4.0