Faculty Engagement

KNOWLEDGE • PASSION • SCHOLARSHIP • COMMITMENT

Marcus Foston, Associate Professor of Energy, Environment, and Chemical Engineering, with “Researcher for a Day” high school students in his lab at the McKelvey School of Engineering

The Institute for School Partnership is a trusted partner for over 50 school districts and more than 60 independent, charter and parochial schools. Through these partnerships and experiences as K-12 educators, curriculum developers, professional learning facilitators, researchers and evaluators, the ISP staff has expansive knowledge of the St. Louis area K-12 community.

The ISP provides campus-wide support for faculty to develop partnership and outreach opportunities with St. Louis area schools. ISP personnel work with faculty to help identify the best engagement for them and turn their passion into action.

See our brochure (PDF) for examples faculty engagement through the ISP »

An average of 60 faculty members participate in ISP partnership activities each year as part of their research, service and broader impact activities. A lecture. A workshop. One hour. A whole semester. No matter your time commitment you can make a difference.

There are many ways to get involved.

  • Host a teacher in your lab for the summer
  • Host a student group on campus
  • Lead a Hot Topics workshop in your field
  • Teach a semester long course
  • Provide expertise in curriculum development
  • Lead a book club or book discussion
  • Be a guest speaker at a teacher workshop
  • Offer a summer research experience for a high school student

Broader Impact / Broadening Participation

The ISP is uniquely positioned to assist faculty to engage with the K-12 school community or develop research proposal Broader Impact strategies that connect with K-12 schools. If you would like ISP assistance on the BI portion of your proposal, or want to learn ways you can collaborate with ISP, please complete the faculty engagement form below.

Ways ISP Can Assist with your Research Proposal

  • Meet to discuss RFPs, your research, and broader impact ideas
  • Refine new ideas or find overlaps with existing programs
  • Review your written plan and receive feedback on the broader impact portion of your proposal
  • Align your research with existing national K-12 science & math standards at grade level
  • Provide letters of support or collaboration (from ISP, campus partners, or local schools/teachers)
  • Advise with guidance on budgets for outreach activities

Ways ISP Can Support Funded Projects

  • Assistance in connecting with community and educational partners
  • Marketing, recruitment and logistical support of faculty-led Hot Topic Workshops or speaking engagement events for local teachers
  • Recruitment of local Teachers for Teacher-Researcher Partnerships
  • Recruitment of local students for Summer Research Experiences 
  • Recruitment of K-12 students for one-time event
  • Website communication and dissemination of your project
High school student with materials for water research project.
Photo of Professor Ling

“Colleagues at ISP really helped me think about the integration of research and education in an authentic way. We are working together on a unique project that engages teachers and students in a journey of microbial diversity discoveries.”

Fangqinog Ling, Assistant Professor, Department of Energy, Environment & Chemical Engineering

To learn ways you can collaborate with the ISP, please complete our Faculty Engagement form:

Faculty Engagement form

Questions? Email Chris at mohr@wustl.edu

“Our Washington University faculty and staff are proud to partner with the local education community and consider it a privilege and duty to connect our cutting-edge research with the dedicated teachers who can put it into action in the classroom. Together, we’re capturing the curiosity and cultivating the potential of a new generation of community leaders who will go on to serve this great city.”

Chancellor Andrew Martin