Highlights
- The Science Ambassador Program is the only program of its kind offered by CDC for STEM teachers and other educators.
- Teachers use STEM lessons to help students learn about real-world disease control and prevention, health, and wellness.
- A one-year fellowship and one- or two-day trainings are offered each year.
- STEM lessons and the CDC NERD Academy curriculum are available for download.
Opportunities & Updates
Fellowship Application & Training Registration
The fellowship application period will open November 15, 2024.
Overview
The Science Ambassador Program provides training and resources for STEM teachers and other educators. This program's dynamic professional learning opportunities and resources for teachers helps them bring public health sciences into middle- and high-school classrooms.
Program offerings include the following:
- One-year distance-learning fellowship for teachers and educators
- One- or two-day regional training workshops throughout the United States
- A variety of STEM lesson plans related to public health topics
- An eight-module curriculum—called CDC NERD Academy— introducing basic epidemiology concepts, public health topics, and careers
Training & Resources for STEM Teachers and Other Educators (grades 6–12) - Printable English Flyer
Check out our NERD Academy curriculum!
Science Ambassador Fellowship
This intensive fellowship is an opportunity for STEM teachers and other educators to:
- Learn foundational epidemiology and public health concepts.
- Collaborate with CDC experts to develop STEM lesson plans.
- Serve as an ambassador for teaching public health.
The fellowship includes:
- Five-day summer course at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
- One year of distance-based partnership with CDC STEM specialists.
- Virtual training on how to use STEM lesson plans in the classroom.
- Support for presenting at local teacher conferences or meetings.
Eligible travel, meals, and lodging expenses for the summer course are covered by CDC.
Regional Training Workshops
STEM teachers and other educators engage in professional learning during these training workshops. They practice using public health lesson plans and learn strategies to teach epidemiology and public health concepts. They also meet and network with CDC and local public health experts.
Training workshops include the following:
- One- or two-day trainings in a U.S. city
- Interactive sessions that walk through lesson plans
- Panel discussions with
- CDC experts
- State and local public health professionals
- University faculty and students from public health programs
- CDC experts
Register for an upcoming workshop!
STEM Lesson Plans
These STEM lesson plans focused on public health topics can enrich your classroom. These public health lesson plans were developed by STEM teachers and CDC experts during the Science Ambassador Fellowship summer course. Using the activities in these lesson plans, students learn and practice skills a disease detective might know and use. These skills include scientific design, decision-making, and working on a team.
Each lesson plans includes:
- Background information about:
- Real outbreak investigations
- Public health issues
- CDC research
- Real outbreak investigations
- Activity instructions and answer keys
- Student handouts
- Alignment with Next Generation Science Standards
Users can tailor downloadable lesson plans to meet students' needs.
CDC NERD Academy Curriculum
This standards-based STEM curriculum helps students learn basic epidemiology and public health. It is based on the investigation of a fictional novel emerging respiratory disease (NERD). The eight modules are age-appropriate and designed by teachers. Modules use relatable scenarios, videos, and STEM activities to engage students. Students also learn about public health career opportunities. You can download lesson plans in English or Spanish.