Teacher Professional Development

Harbor Scholars

The Harbor Scholars workshop is designed exclusively for Baltimore City grades 3–5 teachers to explore how to effectively engage their students in action projects as part of the Save the Bay! science unit. Educators learn about critical issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay as well as best practices around engaging students in MWEEs (Meaningful Watershed Education Experiences). Support for Harbor Scholars is provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

For more information about the workshop and to apply, visit Harbor Scholars. 

For questions, email Annemarie McDonald, amcdonald AT_TOWSON.

B'More Codes Robot Rookies

The B’More Codes Robot Rookies is an introduction to computational thinking and robotics for 3rd-5th grade teachers. Participants attend two in-person workshop sessions where they learn how to facilitate "plugged" and "unplugged" activities with their students.

Once participants have completed these sessions, they will be eligible to borrow a class set of programmable robots to use with their students.

Learn more about the B'More Codes Robot Rookies program and apply.

Email amcdonald AT_TOWSON with questions.

B'More Codes HiTech Loaner Lab

The B’More Codes HiTech Loaner Lab provides middle and high school STEM teachers with the opportunity to borrow free class sets of programmable robots. Teachers must complete a professional development workshop in order to be eligible to borrow the kits.

The professional development program includes two in-person sessions and a follow up virtual session. During the workshop, participating teachers will have the opportunity to learn about computational thinking concepts, practice using programmable robots, and collaborate with other STEM teachers. 

Learn more about the HiTech Loaner Lab and sign up.

Email kberger AT_TOWSON with questions.

B′More Secure GenCyber Professional Learning Community

Applications will be available in January/February of 2025!

The B’More Secure GenCyber program is open to middle and high school Maryland teachers (from any discipline) interested in infusing cybersecurity lessons into their teaching.

The program is designed for teachers with little to no cybersecurity content knowledge. However, teachers with existing cybersecurity content knowledge and teaching experience are welcome to apply, as a focus on the pedagogy of teaching cyber, career connections, and social justice issues related to cybersecurity benefit all teachers.

The program begins with an intensive, in-person Summer Camp at Towson University (June 23–27). During the 2025–2026 school year, participants will implement at least two cybersecurity lessons in their classrooms, participate in virtual meetings and attend a final in-person session in May, 2025.

Funding for this workshop is made possible by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Maryland Loaner Lab Training Workshop

Our Maryland Loaner Lab (MDLL) program offers secondary science teachers kits of materials that include equipment, reagents and lessons. We ship the materials directly to your classroom; you send them back to us when you’re done.  

In order to borrow MDLL kits, teachers must attend a one-time training workshop. Complete an interest form to receive information about the next MDLL training workshop. 

Science in Sync Professional Learning Experience

Open to Maryland STEM teachers of grades 6–12

Applications available in early 2025!

The world around us is in constant flux: trees grow new leaves in spring and shed them in autumn, flowers bloom and wither, and our neighborhoods fill with the sounds of birds returning in spring. Phenology is the study of the timing and patterns of events like these in nature, and data collected by volunteer observers (often called citizen science) is essential to phenological research.

The program begins with a 3-day in-person summer workshop in July (dates TBD) where participants will learn from researchers using citizen science data to study animal and plant phenology and understand how human activity is shifting seasonal patterns. We will discuss the biases in citizen science data and explore how identity affects how we all do science, from the questions we ask to our experiences of safety and belonging in the field.

Participants will develop a phenology-based classroom lesson based on what they learned during the summer and implement during the 2025/2026 school year. There will be a final synchronous virtual meeting in Spring 2025 (date TBD) where participants share the results of their lesson implementation.

This program is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Grant Writing Accountability Group

Are you interested in applying for grant funding? Join the TU Center for STEM Excellence's Grant Writing Accountability Group. Meet up monthly on Zoom to share ideas and get support from others who are working on their grant writing projects. There is no assigned work or homework. During the semi-structured meetings we will get to:

• Discuss the Topic of the Month
• Share updates and progress on individual grant applications projects
• Give and receive feedback on each other's work

The virtual meetings will take place on the second Tuesday of each month, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the 2024-2025 school year.

For more information and to register, visit Grant Writing Accountability Group (GDOC)