STEM Lab Teacher visits India as Fulbright Scholar

STEM Lab Teacher Jess Noffsinger spent 18 days touring India as part of the Fulbright Teacher’s for Global Classroom Program. During her adventure, Jess visited both cultural sites and schools to learn more about Indian culture and the education system. Favorite stops included the Taj Mahal, the first ever Delhi Robotics League Competition, and participating in the Bonalu Festival in Hyderabad, Telangana. During her visit, Mrs. Noffsinger taught courses in American Culture and Engineering problem solving to high school students at Government Nehru Memorial High School. She also led a professional learning session for teachers on utilizing technology in the classroom.

“Education in India is driven by the goal to prepare students for the STEM jobs of the future.” explains Noffsinger.

“Students are being exposed to a variety of STEM courses including mechatronics, robotics, coding, and more. When asked, students' most popular dream jobs included IT and engineering.” Although technology infrastructure was not fully developed, students received instruction daily to build skills to help these dreams become a reality. As she returns to her middle school classroom in Colorado, Noffsinger plans to work collaboratively with her students and the students she taught in India to complete a robotics project focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

She will also bring a new perspective to her work with students of Indian decent in her own classroom.

This story exemplifies our ELEVATE Focus Area: World-Class Staff. Sharing stories about how staff is compensated, supported and trained to foster student success and family partnerships.