Small World Initiative's® High School Member Benefits
Instructional Materials/Curriculum
Members receive and have access to regularly updated materials that maintain a standard of excellence for teaching SWI's introductory biology course. The volumes are currently in their 4th edition.
Instructor Guidebook & Training Manual
Training, Advice, and Assistance
Instructor Training Workshop
Immediate access to feedback and troubleshooting from experts
Answers to FAQs
Access to Online Resources & Databases
Online databases - Our online soil sample database provides the ability for students and faculty to input research data and download all data for aggregate research.
Instructor portal, including
Teaching resources, including slides for lectures and handouts
Extensive biosafety resources
Troubleshooting guides
Supply requirements and recommendations
Pedagogical resources
Instructor training handouts and presentations
Responsible conduct in research ethics materials
Lab notebook rubric and guidelines
Research resources
Templates
Student Opportunities
Continuously expanding pipeline of opportunities for students to present research, attend conferences and events, publish, receive recognition, be mentored, and apply for internships, fellowships, and jobs. Key annual opportunities include our student challenge and awards.
Highlights:
Small World Initiative's Annual Do Something About Antibiotics Challenge (partners: CDC, NIH)
Student Awards (including for persistence, best-in-session poster, scientific discovery, leadership)
Faculty Opportunities
Continuously expanding pipeline of opportunities for faculty to receive recognition, publish, speak, lead, and collaborate with others.
Highlights:
Faculty Awards (including for excellence in mentorship, pedagogical innovation, scientific discovery)
Eligibility to participate in group research
Mentoring for New Faculty
Travel Grants
Committee Opportunities (e.g., Publishing, Science, Training, Symposium, Social Media/PR)
Evaluation Tools to Measure Student Impact
We provide instructors with evaluation tools to measure the program's impact on students. Instruments include pre- and post-course surveys that take approximately 10 minutes for students to complete. We also provide guidance on Institutional Review Boards and Head of School approval and consent letters. Periodically, we also provide the opportunity to participate in group research (typically using instruments provided through Qualtrics). When this occurs, participating instructors are provided with access to de-identified data and are invited to participate in group publications.
Tester Strains
Safe relatives of the ESKAPE pathogens
Negotiated Pricing
Negotiated pricing for PCR sequencing
Negotiated arrangements for reduced pricing for certain laboratory equipment, disposable supplies, and testing
Communications
Monthly announcements
Impact report
Projected Additional Benefits on the Horizon
Additional modules and follow-on courses
Partnerships to store and provide additional testing of samples
Ability to participate in projects coming down the pipeline (e.g., iChip pilot)
If you have any questions, please contact Erika Kurt at 347-762-4818 or through our contact form here. To apply to teach the Small World Initiative, please click here.
*The Small World Initiative is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Employer Identification Number / Tax ID: 81-1772308.
