The Trinect program, funded by the National Science Foundation’s STEM-C program, is designing a new model of teacher preparation at Iowa State University. Designed to help teachers meet Next Generation Science Standards, Trinect incorporates teams consisting of a cooperating teacher in the Des Moines school system, a student teacher in ISU’s School of Education, and a graduate student in the College of Engineering. These teams will work together to improve teaching of science, technology, engineering, and math in the elementary classroom by creating more prepared teachers as well as engineers that are better able to communicate their work.
Trinect will also allow ISU to research the impact of this triad approach to improve teacher preparedness as well as the effects on the engineering students.
Led by Joanne Olson, a professor in the School of Education, this project is a five year, $4.5 million partnership between Des Moines Public Schools and Iowa State University, with the School of Education, and the Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, part of the College of Engineering.