To incubate and encourage innovative teaching in sustainability and environmental education, IonE will recognize three to six educators per year. As individuals and a group, these educators will advance best practices in sustainability instruction and curriculum development, and disseminate those innovations to the broader university and Minnesota community. IonE Educators are tenure-track faculty and instructional staff, including adjunct faculty when appropriate (IonE Educators may or may not already be an IonE Fellow or Associate.). IonE Educators are regularly engaged in formal and informal teaching. The cohort meets throughout their 15-month fellowship term to learn from each other.
During the 15-month fellowship year from December 2018 to February 2019, IonE Educators will pursue projects around effective pedagogy and curriculum development aimed at improving an existing course or developing new courses and educational experiences. Projects may address education for the general public or K-12 students. All projects will champion the need for diverse perspectives in solving today’s wicked and complex sustainability challenges.
During their fellowship year, IonE Educators will present on some aspect of sustainability education to the broader IonE community, and participate in the Sustainability Education Summit. The initial cohort of IonE Educators 2016-17 developed the concept of a systemwide conversation focused on generating greater collaboration and reflexive thinking in matters concerning sustainability education. The 2017-18 Educators cohort is furthering the Educator’s mission to advance innovative pedagogy and expand the sustainability community by hosting a multimedia, interactive, five-campus Summit on February 1st, 2019. Incoming IonE Educators 2018-19 will have the opportunity to participate in this year’s summit. and contribute to the design and content of the Summit, taking place in the Spring of 2020 and thereby completing the fellowship year.
Over time, alumni of the IonE Educators will form a dynamic community of educators who are united by shared objectives and benefit from inter-cohort communication fostered by the Affiliates network.
In addition to the benefits and responsibilities of all IonE Affiliates, IonE Educators will have access to a graduate research assistant who will help them in their focal project and receive counsel from IonE staff in the development and implementation of their focal project.
IonE Educators are selected annually in the Fall with applications due to the ioneaffiliates@umn.edu in September (2020 date TBA) with announcement of new IonE Educators by late October.
Individuals can apply by submitting:
1) Letter of support from a department chair, dean, or associate dean (or similar supervisory role). (if none of these is available, please reach out to ioneaffiliates@umn.edu prior to the application deadline to find out what else could be submitted in place of this letter.)
2) Cover letter describing their environmental or sustainability education experiences; and goals and a description of the educational project or activity they seek to advance during their fellowship year.
3) CV highlighting the qualifications described above
Selection will be based on the potential for the proposed project to significantly advance sustainability education within and outside of the University of Minnesota system. IonE Educators are recommended by the Faculty Leadership Council with assistance from ad hoc reviewers and IonE staff. Consultation with IonE education/leadership staff about possible projects is strongly encouraged before submitting an application.
Read about the first two cohorts of IonE Educators here.
