Charlotte Teachers Institute (CTI) has accepted a new cohort of 104 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) teachers into its innovative, interdisciplinary seminars for 2014, involving new partnerships with Discovery Place and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture.
“We are excited to welcome our new CTI Fellows and provide them with the opportunity to work with icons of the scientific and cultural scene in the greater Charlotte community,” said Scott Gartlan, CTI executive director. “These partnerships will provide full access for our teachers to explore ideas and artifacts in innovative ways to improve their curriculum.”
Four of CTI’s eight, seven-month, small group seminars will meet at Discovery Place:
- Artificial Intelligence, led by Raghuram Ramanujan, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science at Davidson College
- The Global Energy Challenge, directed by Durwin Striplin, professor of chemistry, Davidson College
- Metamorphosis: Transformative Experiences, led by Amy Ringwood, associate professor of biological sciences at UNC Charlotte
- Intersections of Science Technology and Culture, directed by Alan Rauch, professor of English at UNC Charlotte
“Changes to science and technology happen rapidly, and it can be challenging for classroom educators to maintain an expert level of understanding in these technical concepts. Through our new Discovery Place Education Studio for professional development, we are thrilled to partner with Charlotte Teachers Institute to bring these learning experiences to our Charlotte teachers,” said Catherine Horne Discovery Place president and CEO.
The Gantt Center will host CTI’s Visual Storytelling in Children’s and Young Adult Literature seminar, led by Paula Connolly, UNC Charlotte associate professor of English.
"Enriching the education of K-12 students by serving as a resource for teachers is one of three strategic objectives that inform all that we do at the Harvey B. Gantt Center. This partnership with Charlotte Teachers Institute supports our objectives and will also allow us to increase access to traveling exhibitions and our permanent collection, particularly the John & Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art. As a result of this collaboration, the Fellows have become an extension of our small staff and will help expand our reach exponentially,” said Gantt Center president and CEO David Taylor.
Two seminars take place at Davidson College (The Art of Fiction: Close Analysis, Style and the Novel led by Davidson’s Associate Professor of English Maria Fackler, and Human Agency led by Davidson Associate Professor of Philosophy Meghan Griffith). Heroes, Rebels and Rock Stars: Cultural Icons in Modern Europe led by UNC Charlotte Associate Professor of History Heather Perry meets on UNC Charlotte’s main campus.
CTI Fellows from all eight seminars began with an orientation at Discovery Place in April and will continue to meet in their individual seminar groups through November 2014. Gartlan noted that all 104 Fellows (13 teachers in each of the eight seminars) and the seminar leaders receive free Discovery Place and Gantt Center memberships to further their independent research and cultural connections in the community.
A complete list of 2014 CTI Fellow is online.