Chapman University College of Educational Studies has formed a partnership with Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) to provide science content and teaching strategies over the next three years. A $1.4M grant secured by Dr. Frank Frisch, dual appointment with the College of Educational Studies and Schmid College of Science and Technology, from the California Department of Education’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) office will be used to provide specialized Chapman courses over the summer and throughout the year to Anaheim’s teachers. Chapman scientists from physics, food science, computer science and biology as well as pedagogy experts from the College of Educational Studies will serve as instructors and mentors for the AUHSD teachers in the hopes of improving didactic and laboratory instruction in what is already an excellent school district.

Frank Frisch

Frank Frisch , Ph.D. presenting at Chapman University TEDx.

Fifty two AUHSD science teachers will be selected to participate in the Chapman Anaheim Science Partnership. Novel aspects to this grant include extensive use of smartphone apps for instruction and the use of Chapman’s Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) programming. The subtext to this enterprise is to infuse high school teachers with the ability to look beyond their particular disciplines and enable students to see how science is in every aspect of daily living. This grant supports high school science teachers to reach out to the music teachers, English teachers, art teachers and others in their schools to share with them how science knowledge can be critical to the understanding of traditionally non-science realms.

It is the mission of College of Educational Studies to promote the welfare of communities in various forms, and this grant will do much to advance learning in the Anaheim schools and serve as a model for other districts.