Chemistry Solutions

Figure 1.The author during her stay in Washington, D.C. as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow.

On August 10, 2023, friends and family helped me load my car and a trailer with a bed, end table, dresser, couch, table, assorted furnishings, and enough dishes to cook a variety of one-dish meals. It was hot — North Carolina summer hot. Then I pulled away from my tomatoes, figs, and life as a West Johnston High School Wildcat. I was moving to Washington, D.C. for a year to serve on the national education stage in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

For the next 11 months, I lived and learned as part of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship program, called AEF for short. The program is designed to “increase the understanding, communication, and cooperation between the Congress, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), other Federal agencies, and the mathematics and science education community.”¹ DOE’s Office of Science, in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, manages the AEF program.

The application process

The AEF program is open to public or private K-12 STEM teachers who have been teaching for at least five years and are US citizens at the time they submit their application. The lengthy application process was an opportunity for me to reflect on my own personal education journey, including my teaching credentials, professional development experiences, every class I had ever taught, and whom I might trust enough to ask for a letter of recommendation.

I submitted my first application in November 2021, but was notified several months later that I was not selected. Obviously, I was very disappointed. Fortunately, an AEF alumna encouraged me to try again. So, I asked a former student to submit a new letter of recommendation, and I reapplied in November 2022.

The next communication I received from AEF was an email in February 2023, congratulating me on being a semifinalist! This meant that I was among 35 applicants who were invited to Washington, D.C. in March to interview for positions with various federal agencies.

Fellowships are with either the legislative (House or Senate) or executive branch. Each year, Fellows are invited to interviews based on the needs of the agencies. My second application was almost exactly the same as my first, but this time my skill set brought me to the semifinalist level. I had three interviews: one with DOE, another with the National Science Foundation (NSF), and finally one with the Department of Defense (DoD). AEF paid for my travel, meals, and lodging.

While in D.C. for the semifinalist weekend, I spent my time meeting current AEF Fellows, touring the Washington area to view housing options, and having intense conversations with federal employees about STEM education and how we might work together. Then, I returned to my North Carolina school, feeling both exhausted and energized.

While I waited to learn if I’d been selected, I spent some time learning about civilian scholarships available to my students through the DoD, resources at national labs, and a world of acronyms that I wanted to explore. Even if I didn’t make it to the next level, I believed that being an AEF semifinalist would be a highlight of my teaching career.

I finally received a phone call telling me that I had been selected to serve on Capitol Hill! This meant that I needed to come back to D.C. for one more set of interviews — this time, with staff congressional staffers who had seen my application and thought I would be a good fit for their Representative’s priorities.

In order to pursue this opportunity, I had to miss the last day of exams and my school’s graduation ceremony so that I could fly back to DC and interview with staff at six House of Representatives’ offices and one Senate office. This time, I was able to give some feedback on my final placement. Then, I had less than two months to pack up and say goodbye to friends at school and home, and prepare to spend a year in the nation’s capital.

Life as a Fellow

Figure 2.The author (center) celebrates Halloween on Embassy Row, in Washington D.C.

There were 16 Fellows in my cohort, and collectively we served in a variety of capacities and locations. These included positions in various U.S. Congressional offices, the Library of Congress, the DoD, the U.S. Geological Survey, NSF, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. My fellowship placement was in the personal office of a senior House Member on the Education and Workforce Committee.

Each day, I went to the Longworth House Office Building, where I worked alongside other policy advisors. I carried a legislative portfolio of eight policy areas, including education, science, communication, women’s issues, children’s issues, gun violence, arts/humanities, and the U.S. Census.

My life as a teacher had prepared me to take meetings with constituents and write memos. I enjoyed helping people connect with resources, discuss initiatives, and explain impacts. I also enjoyed attending science briefings and hearing knowledgeable people explain the importance of various scientific enterprises and advocate for increased funding for science research. But I most enjoyed walking into an event and being sought after because of my position as a congressional staff member. As a teacher, I’d had access to resources other people should want. As a Fellow, however, I had access to resources other people actually wanted. To say I was stoked is an understatement.

Through Committee work, I played a small role in the oversight of federal education programs, initiatives, and grants, specifically working to advance bills supporting literacy, parent involvement, and dual-language teacher training. It was inspiring to “lead the library letter” during the appropriations funding cycle. In this role, I was responsible for sending out “dear e-colleagues” requests, collecting Member office signatures, and dispensing instructions to those from both sides of the aisle who had signed on to provide much-needed access to books, community spaces, educational opportunities, and upgraded technology to local libraries.

Meanwhile, back in the Representative’s home district, I facilitated a roundtable session to address funding impacts on teacher retention efforts. I also attended briefings and hearings, and collaborated on policy initiatives. Some of the more interesting of these experiences came courtesy of the Congressional Research Service, a part of the Library of Congress that provides non-partisan support on legislative issues. I attended their monthly “Science and Technology” briefings, learning about topics as diverse as space dust and advances in nuclear fusion. Many organizations also gave briefings and sponsored receptions to inform and network with Capitol Hill staffers. In the process of attending these meetings, I developed nuanced understandings of issues such as AI, healthcare, and higher education. I also gained knowledge and skills to increase my value as a teacher and education leader.

My AEF cohorts and I spent 11 months working and collaborating with one another. Coming from a “right to work” state, I was interested to learn how teacher unions in other states had improved working conditions and increased teacher pay in their unionized districts. I asked for help in addressing class-size challenges from the National Science Teaching Association. Some of my AEF colleagues in legislative branch appointments wrote curriculum, developed data science modules, hosted STEM outreach events, planned competitions such as the National Science Bowl, and read thousands of entries in DoD-sponsored essay competitions.

We gathered as an AEF cohort on the first Friday of each month to share and reflect. We also had incredible professional development sessions at places only D.C. could offer, such as Smithsonian museums, National Academy of Sciences, NASA Goddard, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. We had space and resources to create our own fabulous professional development plans.

Part of my plan was to become more knowledgeable about First Nations and Hispanic cultures through work with the National Museum of the American Indian and the Science Educators for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice (SEEDS) organization. I visited tribally-controlled schools and learned how to write land acknowledgement statements for each of the 10 states I visited during my fellowship year. These were formal declarations that recognized and paid respect to the Indigenous peoples who traditionally stewarded the land where a person or group is currently located. Traveling to the ACS meeting in March, I noted we were meeting in the ancestral territory of the Chitimacha, and gratefully acknowledged and connected with their care of the land of New Orleans.

I also enjoyed reading books for fun on topics like kitchen chemistry, and developing my “T,” “E,” and “M” topics for a more complete STEM superpower. I still have much to learn about bringing folks together to improve education, but I have some up-close and practical experiences in how to keep trying.

Reflecting on my experience

After the fellowship, I chose to return to the classroom (my school had held my position for me, and even gave me back my chemistry classes). I now have a greater knowledge of available STEM resources and a stronger persistence in advocating for science equity. I have also applied for more grants and used more technology in my lessons.

Another great opportunity I had because of my fellowship was connecting with a special guest speaker who “Zoomed into” our ChemClub meeting — Congressman Wiley Nickel, the U.S. Representative of the 13^th District of North Carolina, which includes Johnston County. My students had a rich conversation with him about services available to them, as well as the importance of finding common ground when conversing with people who have differing opinions. They loved how he reinforced the concept that he works for them.

Looking back, the task that gave me the most personal satisfaction was finding legislative solutions to elevate people’s awareness of science education. I worked to promote bipartisan support for K-12 chemistry education initiatives by submitting a resolution to legislative counsel, vetting potential co-leads for the resolution, and enlisting appropriate sponsors. While the process for moving legislation through Congress often lasts longer than my 11-month ‘tour of duty,’ I am grateful I had the opportunity to see some of the many moving parts in operation.

I view the fellowship as a recognition of my work as an educator and my first-hand knowledge of what occurs in the science classroom. It was also an opportunity to leverage my career as an educator and educational researcher on the national level.

If you have been looking for ways to grow as a STEM educator, please consider becoming an Albert Einstein Fellow and spending a year in Washington! For complete eligibility requirements and an application, visit the AEF website. The application for 2025-26 Fellowships closes on November 14, 2024.

References

¹ Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994. Available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/6. (accessed Oct 25, 2024).