1) What is an IISME Summer Fellowship? The IISME Summer Fellowship is a full-time job. All IISME Teacher Fellows are expected to work 40 hours per week for eight weeks (during standard business hours), carry out summer responsibilities as articulated by his/her Mentor, forgo soliciting or accepting a job from their IISME Sponsor and return to teaching the following school year. During the summer, Fellows spend 90% of their time on a specific project for their sponsoring organization. Fellows spend the remaining 10% of their time on IISME professional development activities including developing an Education Transfer Plan (ETP) and attending IISME meetings. Earning a passing score on the rubric is required for the Fellow to earn all grant money and be eligible for future IISME Fellowships. Fellows must also attend all mandatory IISME meetings which include: IISME Orientation, Midsummer, End-of-Summer Celebration, one-on-one Peer Coach sessions, and community group meetings. 2) What are the IISME Summer Fellowship Program Requirements? An IISME Fellowship is a full-time job over the summer. All IISME Teacher Fellows are expected to work 40 hours per week for eight weeks (during standard business hours), carry out summer responsibilities as articulated by his/her Mentor, forgo soliciting or accepting a job from their IISME Sponsor and return to teaching the following school year. During the summer, Fellows spend 90% of their time on a specific project for their sponsoring organization. Fellows spend the remaining 10% of their time on IISME professional development activities including developing an Education Transfer Plan (ETP) and attending IISME meetings. Earning a passing score on the rubric is required for the Fellow to earn all grant money and be eligible for future IISME Fellowships. Fellows must also attend all mandatory IISME meetings which include: IISME Orientation, Midsummer, End-of-Summer Celebration, one-on-one Peer Coach sessions, and community group meetings. 3) What is an Education Transfer Plan (ETP)? In addition to working on an industry or research project, each IISME Fellow is required to develop a specific plan for transferring the IISME experience back into his or her classroom or school. This Education Transfer Plan (ETP) could be a lesson or unit in a specific content area or one that integrates different disciplines, a classroom project, staff development, or a unit on career exploration. The ETP is designed to benefit both the IISME Fellow and the Education Community at large as ETPs are published on IISME's Community Website. 4) How is the Educaton Transfer Plan (ETP) evaluated? Each ETP is evaluated using a rigorous rubric. This rubric is made available to all Fellows prior to the start of the Fellowship program. Earning a passing score on the rubric is required for the Fellow to earn all grant money and be eligible for future IISME Fellowships. Veteran Fellows (teachers who have previously held an IISME Fellowship) have the option of proposing an alternative ETP to IISME’s Education Director. Each Fellow is expected to spend close to 10% of his/her IISME time developing this plan and it is advised that you keep the Sponsoring Mentor informed about your progress on the ETP as they will be asked to sign off on the final product. 5) Where are the sponsors that offer Fellowships? IISME recruits sponsors from Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. For the Bay Area program, the majority of Fellowships are offered in the Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose Areas. 6) What are the required hours in order to hold an IISME Fellowship? Each Fellowship is eight weeks long. Each week will be 40 hours of work during standard business hours. Teachers devote 10% of their paid time to working on IISME related activities, including developing their Education Transfer Plan and attending IISME meetings. 7) What are the dates of the Fellowship Program? The Fellowships run from approximately June 18, 2012 to August 10, 2012. This is somewhat flexible as we recognize that different school districts have different calendars. Although the exact start and end dates can be worked out with IISME and your Fellowship Sponsor, each teacher is required to work the full eight-weeks during standard business hours. Any variations needed from the start and end dates listed above MUST be discussed on page nine of your application and cleared through the IISME Office in advance of accepting an IISME Fellowship. 8) Are there shorter Fellowships available? The standard Fellowship period is 8 weeks and the vast majority of Fellowship Sponsors will be seeking Fellows to work a full 8-week position. It is possible that there may be a few Sponsors who have defined a project that may take 7 weeks. On the application you will have the opportunity to indicate whether you are available for an 8-week Fellowship, 7-week Fellowship or both. Please note that only being available for a 7-week position does limit the opportunities available to you and your chances of being selected for a Fellowship. 9) What if I already have a vacation or other commitment planned? Your 8 weeks must be completed within the 12-week period of June 4 - August 24 and must include Orientation, Education Transfer Plan (ETP) Review, and End of Summer events. You have some flexibility within this time period provided you inform us of your scheduling needs before you accept a Fellowship and by listing them on page nine of the online application. Some Fellowships offer telecommute options on a very limited basis, but since part of your Fellowship is about experiencing a new and different work environment, telecommuting is not encouraged. 11) How much do I get paid for my summer work? The Summer Fellowship pays $900/week for the eight weeks, so your gross pay will be $7,200 for the summer. In addition, each Teacher Fellow receives up to $1,000 in grant money for completing an Education Transfer Plan and an Impact Report detailing the impact of the Summer Fellowship Program on his/her teaching practice and the results of implementing the Education Transfer plan during the following school year. 12) Won't I get burned out working full time for 8 weeks over the summer? One of the remarkable observations that teachers make year after year is how re-energized and revitalized they feel after an IISME Fellowship. IISME Fellow Brad O'Connor said it best, "I started my Fellowship a mere weekend after the last day of school, and finished with only a week and half until the first day of the new school year. But when school started I hit the ground running. I had twice the energy and none of the dread. It’s all a bit counter-intuitive, but it may be that I stayed in a productive mode all summer and didn’t have trouble switching gears when the school year arrived.” 13) Who is eligible for the Summer Fellowship Program? Teachers are eligible to apply if they meet the following requirements:
14) Can I teach Summer School while holding an IISME Fellowship? No, this arrangement does not result in a successful Fellowship experience for either the Fellow or the sponsoring organization. All IISME Fellows are required to work 40 hours per week for 8 weeks over the summer during standard business hours. 15) Does student-teaching or subbing count towards the 2 years of experience requirement? No, however, a long-term sub assignment of 3 or more months may count towards the requirement, depending on your situation.
17) I forgot my password, how can I retrieve it? If you forgot your password, you can retrieve it by following this link and entering your email address. The email address you enter MUST be the same one you used when you registered with IISME. Our system will then reset your password and send it to your email address. On occasion, this system generated email can be blocked if it is confused with spam by your email filters. If the email is blocked or you experience any other problems with resetting your password, please send an email to webmaster@iisme.org and we will be happy to assist you. 18) How can I edit my current application?
If you have already applied for the Summer Fellowship Program, you can always update your online application by logging into http://iisme.org, clicking on Summer Fellowships, then clicking on Application. You can select any page and make changes. Just be sure to click the submit button on the bottom of the changed page. Your application will automatically update as soon as you submit your edits. 19) How can I update my application if I applied for a previous summer? If you have already applied for a Summer Fellowship in a past summer, all you need to do to re-apply, is log back into http://iisme.org, click on Summer Fellowships, then click on Application. Your entire application will appear in a list of nine pages. IISME encourages all returning applicants to review all nine pages and make sure all information is current and completely answered. You MUST submit page 9 of the application, the Teacher Agreement form, in order to be considered for the summer of 2012. IISME will issue an emailed document to your administrator upon submission of a 2012 Summer Fellowship Application. IISME must receive a returned email stating your Administrator's support of your participation in the program in order to complete the application process. 20) Is there a due date to submit the Summer Fellowship Application? IISME accepts applications on an ongoing basis; however it is strongly recommended that applicants complete the online application process, including a Principal’s endorsement by February 15th, 2012. This will ensure that your application will be in the applicant pool and ready to go when the Fellowship matching process begins in March. For the 2011 Fellowship Program, 86% of selected Fellows applied before the end of March. 21) Is the process competitive? Yes! IISME receives well over 400 applications for fewer than 200 Fellowship positions. Remember to be proactive throughout the process and market yourself in the best possible way. Once you’ve become an approved applicant and Fellowship opportunities are posted on the IISME website, you will receive information on how to express interest in available positions. 22) Can I improve my chances of being placed in a Fellowship? Yes! The online application you complete provides the first impression to Fellowship Sponsors, so taking time to complete all sections thoroughly and accurately is key to being placed. We recommend that you answer each of the Personal Statement questions in a word processing program first and use spell check, to ensure that there are no typos before copying and pasting your responses into the online application form. Teachers interested in learning more about the IISME Summer Fellowship program are encouraged to attend a free Applicant Workshop in-person or online! Attending an Applicant Workshop can also improve your chances of receiving a 2012 IISME Fellowship position through the many tips you will receive. In addition, once your IISME application is approved and the Fellowship Sponsors post their Fellowship Projects (beginning in early March), you can log into your account, click on “Positions Available” and explore the options. Once you have identified some positions that appeal to you, you can post Statements of Interest in specific Fellowship positions. When you express interest in a particular Fellowship, IISME staff will be alerted that you are interested in that project, and will forward your Interest Statement and IISME resume along to the person coordinating interviews for that particular position. We recommend a bit of a “recipe” for interest statements. Begin by conveying your interest/enthusiasm for the project, then move on to how you could contribute to the specific project and/or sponsoring organization. End with what you hope to gain from the experience. By expressing interest in specific Fellowships, you will greatly increase your chances of being selected for an IISME Fellowship. We also recommend checking the iisme.org website frequently for view new positions as they are posted and express interest in those that appeal to you. Like our page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to be the first to know about new Sponsors and Fellowship opportunities as they are added.
Applicants can also maximize their chances of being selected by checking email frequently, responding to inquiries immediately and keeping their summer schedule open as long as possible. 23) When can I expect to hear from prospective employers? Fellowship Sponsors will begin posting Fellowship Projects in March of 2012. The interview and hiring process will begin in March and can last all the way into June. Although we encourage Fellowship Sponsors to begin interviewing in early March, this timeline, although helpful to teachers, is not always feasible for Fellowship Sponsors who may post projects and interview teachers well into May, and even early June. Once the Fellowship Sponsors begin to post Fellowship Project Descriptions, you can log into your account, click on “Positions Available” and explore the options. Once you have identified some positions that appeal to you, you can express interest in a Fellowship. By expressing interest in a particular Fellowship, IISME staff will be alerted that you are interested in that project, and will forward your Interest Statement and resume along to the person coordinating interviews for that particular position. By expressing interest in specific Fellowships, you will greatly increase your chances of being selected for an IISME Fellowship. 24) When will I learn if I earned a Fellowship? Mentors contact and interview teachers for Fellowships from March through May. The majority of teachers are hired in April and May. The longer a candidate can stay actively involved in the process of seeking a Fellowship, the greater his/her chances of being contacted and hired, so we highly encourage teachers to apply early.
FAQs for Mentors and Coordinators 1) What is the cost of a Fellowship?
Fellowships cost $11,500 if the Sponsor hires the teacher directly or $13,000 if IISME is the Employer of Record. The difference in cost covers teacher benefits such as payroll taxes, Workers’ Compensation and Unemployment Insurance. Click here for a cost breakdown. 2) Why do Fellowship Sponsors pay IISME in addition to paying teacher stipends? Why should I pay this extra amount instead of hiring a teacher directly? This Professional Services Fee of $3,300 is included in the cost quoted above, and it is used to provide time-tested support services that ensure that the Fellowship is “not just a summer job,” but a valuable professional development experience for teachers. We create a professional support network to help teachers improve their teaching practices, and this network keeps them focused on transferring the work experience you provide into updated curriculum and improved pedagogical practice. Sponsors pay the teachers’ stipends and also cover about 85% of IISME’s costs of providing educational services to teachers throughout the summer and school year, teacher and Sponsor recruitment, program evaluation, and administration.
3) Can I select the teacher myself? 4) What kind of teachers apply to the IISME Summer Fellowship Program? Approximately 400 teachers apply each year and approximately half are high school science, math or technology teachers. Others teach K-8 or community college. Teachers of non-technical subjects are also welcome to apply. 5) What if IISME can’t find a teacher with the qualifications I need? That should not be a problem if you adhere to IISME's recommended timeline. However, if it happens, we will work with you to determine if you can adjust the project requirements. If you can't and we are unable to recruit a teacher suited for your project, then you are not obligated to proceed with the Fellowship. 6) What kinds of projects are appropriate for teachers? IISME teachers have been successful in a variety of areas within an organization: community relations, engineering support, finance, information technology/MIS, marketing, quality assurance, research, software development, training and web development. Review the sample Fellowship descriptions on the IISME website to get a sense of the level and scope of projects teachers can undertake. 7) The project I’ve identified will only take six weeks. Is that okay? Yes, as long as IISME is aware of the modified schedule and the teacher you select agrees up front. (Short assignments are usually very attractive to teachers.) 8) How will my department and I benefit from this teacher’s work? In 2011, 96% of IISME Mentors said they and/or their departments benefited from their teacher’s contributions. Mentors value the teachers’ fresh perspectives, strong interpersonal skills, initiative, and sense of professionalism. Teachers are professionals with a strong work ethic. Many teachers develop ideas that improve a Sponsor’s current practices or benefit the bottom line. 9) How much of my time will mentoring a teacher take? This varies by individual and by difficulty of the work assignment. Most Mentors can screen, interview and select teachers in a total of 4-5 hours. Arrangements (telephone, computer, desk, security badge, etc.) then need to be made for the teacher’s arrival at the worksite. We ask new Mentors to attend a one-hour orientation session prior to the start of the program. During the Fellowship, Mentors typically meet with their teacher at least once or twice per week to monitor progress. It helps if there are other team members who can work with the teacher. At the end of the summer, Mentors are asked to complete an evaluation that takes about 5-10 minutes. Then your official mentoring obligation ends, however we hope your relationship with your teacher continues. 10) How many hours per week is my IISME Fellow expected to work? IISME Fellows work full-time (40 hours per week) unless alternate arrangements are made with IISME. Ten percent of the IISME Fellow's time will be devoted to professional development activities focused on supporting teachers to transfer the summer work experience to the classroom. Teachers spend this time attending IISME meetings and developing an Education Transfer Plan (ETP) under the guidance of IISME staff and their Peer Coaches. Part of this "10% time" will be spent at occasional meetings with their Peer Coach or other Teacher Fellows. In addition, all Fellows must attend the IISME Mid-Summer Meeting in mid-July. 11) Am I expected to help the teacher with his/her Education Transfer Plan? No, the teacher is solely responsible for creating strategies for bringing the summer work experience back to their school. You are, however, asked to read and sign off on your Fellow’s Education Transfer Plan in August. If you can help the teacher brainstorm ideas or provide resources to develop or implement the ETP, GREAT! 12) Do teachers get paid for the July 4th holiday? For sick days? We encourage Sponsors to pay teachers for the July 4th holiday. Teachers do not expect to get any paid sick leave or vacation from their IISME Sponsors. 13) What happens if my teacher doesn’t work the full 8 weeks? If the teacher has completed your project and you have agreed that s/he end the Fellowship early, that’s okay with IISME. Just let us know. At the end of the summer, IISME sends Sponsors information about any credit or outstanding balance on their payments to IISME.
14) Can I work with my teacher longer than 8 weeks? 15) Do teachers fill out timesheets? If your organization has designated IISME as the Employer of Record, then IISME issues and collects timesheets. Mentors will be required to review and approve them. If your organization has hired the teacher directly, please check with your Human Resources department about the payroll process. If IISME is the Employer of Record, then IISME issues a paycheck four times during the Fellowship. It is the teacher’s responsibility to submit the approved timesheet to IISME for payment. If your organization has hired the teacher directly, check with your HR department for payment schedule. Teachers also receive a grant after the summer (half upon submission of their Education Transfer Plan and the balance after submitting an Impact Report). No matter which organization is the Employer of Record, IISME will distribute these grants. 17) Are teachers allowed to work flexible hours or telecommute during their Fellowship? Yes, as long as you approve the arrangements. We do not recommend, however, that teachers telecommute for a large portion of their Fellowship. One of the benefits of IISME Fellowships is the opportunity they provide for teachers to experience an industry work setting or research lab. If IISME is the Employer of Record, Sponsors need to notify IISME of any alternate work schedule prior to the start of the Fellowship. Sponsors are required to pay IISME the cost of any overtime worked by the teacher in excess of eight hours in any day, or forty hours in any week, or any time on the 7th day in a workweek, in accordance with state and federal law. 18) Can I extend an offer for regular employment to my Teacher-Fellow? No! IISME’s mission is to help retain good teachers in education and strengthen their ability to reach students. Please do not take our teachers from the classroom. If a Teacher-Fellow initiates this discussion, please remind him/her of IISME’s mission and notify an IISME staff member. 19) Can I invite my Fellow back for a second summer? Yes, it is often very attractive to a teacher to return for a second summer. The training time is reduced and teachers feel a sense of accomplishment at being invited back. We do limit teachers to two summers at the same Sponsor. 20) Do I get to evaluate my teacher and the IISME program? Yes, we will ask you to complete a quick evaluation at the end of the summer. However, if you have concerns or problems with your teacher before then, please notify IISME immediately. 21) What is an IISME Peer Coach? To ensure that IISME Fellows stay focused on converting their summer experiences into classroom instruction, IISME appoints a small cadre of Peer Coaches each summer. These Peer Coaches, veteran teachers who have held at least two Fellowships previously, facilitate Community Group meetings for small groups of IISME teachers working at the same Sponsor or at Sponsors in the same geographic area. They help plan IISME’s Mid-Summer meeting for teachers and troubleshoot problems at the summer work site. IISME will tell you which Peer Coach has been assigned to your teacher(s) and provide his/her contact information. 22) What happens when the Fellowship is over? Your official mentoring obligation ends. However, we hope your relationship with your teacher continues. 23) Doesn’t IISME help teachers leave teaching for industry jobs? On the contrary, IISME Fellowships help retain teachers in education. A 2001 IISME Teacher Retention Study showed that teachers who have held an IISME Fellowship stayed in teaching at more than twice the rate of their peers in the state and nation. |
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