The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, an advocate for beginning teachers and the teaching profession, is now accepting applications for its prestigious KSTF Teaching Fellowships. Valued at up to $150,000 and renewable for up to five years, the highly competitive Fellowships are awarded to America’s best and brightest new teachers of high school mathematics and science. Applications, eligibility and selection criteria are available at www.kstf.org. The deadline for entries is 5pm EST on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

“KSTF’s Fellowships program is designed to support exceptional beginning teachers through the pivotal early years of their careers,” said Dr. Nicole Gillespie, KSTF’s Director for Teaching Fellowships. “We welcome young men and women who are passionate about becoming masterful teachers and are committed to math and science education for the long term.”

The KSTF Teaching Fellowships are awarded annually in the areas of biological sciences, mathematics and physical sciences. In selecting the Fellows, KSTF assesses depth and breadth of content knowledge in the area the applicant intends to teach, professional ability, commitment to teaching and leadership skills. The Fellowship benefits are extensive and encompass financial resources, professional and leadership development, teaching tools and materials, and access to a coast-to-coast network of like-minded colleagues. The high level of support and membership in a community of like-minded beginning teachers ensure that these highly accomplished teachers remain in the profession to become leaders in the field.

KSTF awarded its first four Teaching Fellowships in 2002. To date, there are 188 Teaching Fellows and alumni nationwide across 40 states. Highly accomplished, KSTF Fellows hail from top universities such as Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, University of Michigan and the University of California at Berkeley. Among the Teaching Fellows are individuals who are Nationally Board Certified, have been named Teacher of the Year, serve as department chairs, are the first to introduce AP courses at their schools, and lead workshops and conferences for other teachers.

The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) was established by Janet H. and C. Harry Knowles in 1999 to increase the number of high quality high school science and mathematics teachers and ultimately improve math and science education in the United States.  The KSTF Teaching Fellowship, the Foundation’s signature program, awards exceptional young men and women with a five-year early-career fellowship, empowering them to become master teachers and leaders in education.