IUPUI is one of four universities in Indiana selected to offer a new national fellowship that will encourage exceptionally talented college seniors and career changers to pursue teaching careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in high-need secondary classrooms. Funded by the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the IUPUI program will support 20 master’s level fellows each year. Fellows must commit to teaching for three years in a high-need rural or urban Indiana high school. The IUPUI curriculum for the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship curriculum is research-based and designed by an interdisciplinary team of faculty members from the Schools of Education, Science, and Engineering and Technology. Following the launch of the Indiana initiative, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation will scale the program up nationwide.
The Center for Service and Learning reports that each year, approximately 50-75 IUPUI students, faculty, and staff from across the campus work with students and their families at the George Washington Community School (GWCS), located on the near west side of Indianapolis and serving students in grades 6 through 12. The IUPUI-GWCS collaboration includes workshops on finance and health issues, a pre-college outreach program, and tutoring in math and reading. GWCS is a learning site for School of Education students, a location for the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management’s “Fit for Life” program, and a recruiting site for University College. IUPUI students act as advocates for higher education, mentors, and role models. In a neighborhood where approximately five percent of students typically attend college, 88 percent of the GWCS class of 2007 and 91 percent of the class of 2008 have entered a postsecondary institution. The school estimates the value of IUPUI services at over $300,000 annually.
Since 2004, the IUPUI Solution Center has provided a single point of access to IUPUI resources, providing research, interns, and project assistance to business, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. In 2007-2008 the Solution Center responded to over 1,000 requests for information and assistance from local organizations and coordinated over 300 internships and experiential learning opportunities with 124 community partners. A 2007 Solution Center impact study showed that 92 percent of community partners credit the center’s assistance with enabling the development of new programs or services, while 95 percent believe that their organization improved as a result of hosting an intern or participating in a project.
