The Marjorie Lee Browne STEM Education Fellowship is a four-week undergraduate internship program and partnership between Memphis Teacher Residency, Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN. For the summer of 2022, we are planning and preparing for STEM Fellows and STEM campers to participate in an in-person experience with COVID safety protocols in place.
The Marjorie Lee Browne STEM Education Fellowship is designed to:
INSPIRE
undergraduate persons of color to pursue careers in STEM education within public schools in Memphis, TN
EQUIP
fellows with a historical perspective of the Civil Rights Movement, Christian faith, and their intersection with education
CREATE
pathways for underserved students to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists
Browne STEM Education Fellows are undergraduate students of color who serve as counselors and teaching assistants in a math-focused summer camp for rising 7th and 8th graders in Memphis.
INTERNSHIP Four-week summer internship in Memphis, TN from June 5 – July 2, 2022
COMMUNITY Shared experiences and collective learning with fellows, professors, and students
TRAINING Intensive pedagogical and content training through Memphis Teacher Residency
COMPENSATION $1,500 summer stipend with housing and most meals included and $1000 fellowship award given at the end of the internship
Equal Education Matters
We believe that mathematics, when rightly ordered, reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of God because “all things hold together in Him”. Students who gain a deep understanding of mathematics are now empowered to make sense of mathematical concepts, wonder about the beauty and pattern of the world, and use the tools of mathematics to address the problems of society and bring order, justice and peace to the world.
Math is not only empowering in the way that we see the world around us, it also unlocks many careers and opportunities! Memphis Teacher Residency believes that the educational disparities in our city and country are among the greatest justice issues of our time, and part of our mission is to “…partner to provide students in Memphis neighborhoods with the same, or better, quality of education as is available to any student in Memphis.” We train effective educators in a Christian context because our faith demands of us to seek justice, defend the oppressed, and to take up the cause of the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17). With equal STEM education in Memphis, we will begin to see our vision of “restored communities living with dignity and in peace.”
Interested? We want to hear from you!
Fill out this form for more information, deadline reminder emails, and answers to your questions
—or jump straight to the application and let us know your interest by starting that today!
About Marjorie Lee Browne
The fellowship and camp are named for Marjorie Lee Browne, a Memphis-born mathematician and educator who was one of the first African-American women in the country to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics. Born in 1914, she attended LeMoyne High School, then graduated cum laude from Howard University, and went on to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1949. Her research focused on linear and matrix algebra. She spent her career at North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University), where she was the chair of the department of mathematics and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. Seeing the importance of computer science, she was able to bring an IBM computer to NCCU as early as 1960.
She was also a lecturer for the Summer Institute for Secondary School Science and Mathematics Teachers after leading NCCU to become the first predominantly black college to receive a National Science Foundation grant for teaching secondary mathematics and science teachers. She spent her summers training science and math teachers and was known to use her resources to help other people pursue a career in Mathematics. We are proud to continue the work of training mathematics educators and promoting mathematics education in her name.
If you want to learn more, you can start by exploring these articles at Massive Science and BlackPast.
Applying to the Marjorie Lee Browne STEM Education Fellowship
Applications for the summer of 2023 open on October 1.
To apply for the Browne STEM Fellowship, you must:
- Be an undergraduate person of color
- Be a rising junior and senior enrolled in a four-year college/university, with a graduation date AFTER the summer of 2022. If you are graduating before the summer of 2022, please consider the Residency program instead.
- Be interested in STEM education, STEM major preferred. Strong math knowledge and math background.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Have US Citizenship, Permanent Residency (Green Card) or DACA status
- Be able to work the entire 2022 camp employment term (June 5 – July 2, 2022)
The application process involves:
- Online application (includes short answer questions, 2 essays, transcript upload, and providing email addresses of references who are willing to serve as a recommender for you).
- Video Interview (invitation only): Those advancing to this stage in the application process will be invited to complete a video interview.
Other Opportunities
While this program is specifically for persons of color who are sophomores or juniors and interested in teaching secondary math and science, we do have several other programs to explore:
- The residency is for college graduates or anyone who will be a college graduate by this coming June. No education experience required! You can become an effective teacher serving under-resourced Memphis communities: elementary or secondary—including math, science, social studies, english and ESL. Earn a Master’s degree at no cost to you, get the support you need to become effective, and join our community of like-minded teachers!
- MTR Camp is for college underclassmen who will not yet be graduated by this coming June. MTR Camp is a summer academic camp for K-2 students in MTR partner neighborhoods and hires approximately 22 college interns each year to run a three-week educational academic camp.
- If you are an undergraduate STEM major but not a person of color, you can consider applying to work for our partners at BEAM next summer. This is a great way to explore whether you enjoy working with youth and might want to teach after college graduation. If you love the experience, we would encourage you to apply to train in our residency program after college graduation!
About the Partners Behind the Fellowship
BEAM (Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics) asks itself, “what do most scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and programmers do growing up?” and then, “how can we bring those same opportunities to underserved students?” Through their work, BEAM helps to diversify other enrichment programs and gives students a realistic chance at the career of their dreams.
The Browne STEM Fellowship uses BEAM-created curriculum, and MTR is partnering with BEAM to bring this experience to rising 7th graders in Memphis.
In order to address the significant educational inequities in our city, MTR recruits, trains, and supports effective teachers in a Christian context. Our Mission: Christian love expressed in equal education. Our Vision: Restored communities living with dignity and in peace. Why? We believe educational inequality is one of the greatest social justice and civil rights issues of today.
MTR is responsible for the programmatic aspects of the Browne STEM Fellowship: selecting fellows, recruiting campers, and coordinating partners.
Learn more about our teacher preparation program and the residency.
The National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM), located at the Lorraine Motel, the assassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., chronicles key episodes of the American Civil Rights Movement, examines today’s global civil and human rights issues, provokes thoughtful debate and serves as a catalyst for positive social change.
NCRM will be equipping fellows with a broad, historical perspective of The Civil Rights Movement and its intersection with education.