Graduate Students Take to the Field in K–12 Education

Children are born curious, and nature is one of the most compelling targets for their curiosity. Unfortunately, as the world becomes more urbanized, interactions between children and the natural world are becoming all too rare. There are a number of barriers that not only prevent teachers from teaching about the diversity of life but also prevent students from exploring it. One barrier is that many teachers do not have a strong background in natural science. The National Science Foundation is addressing this problem with its Graduate Teaching Fellows in K–12 Education Program (GK–12). By providing fellowships to graduate students who can then design and teach science activities in K–12 schools, this program offers a way to bring the resources and expertise of universities to the K–12 community [Plos Biology editorial].