Summer fellowships
Marjorie Lee Browne STEM Education Fellowship
Are you a sophomore or junior person of color who is interested in teaching secondary math and science?
The Browne STEM Education Fellowship is a four-week paid summer fellowship designed to:
INSPIRE undergraduate people of color to pursue careers in STEM education in Memphis.
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.
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.
Important Dates:
camp dates
June 2 — June 30, 2024 (Memphis, TN)
Applications Open
October 3, 2023
EARLY DEADLINE
November 30, 2023
FINAL DEADLINE
February 13, 2024
virtual info sessions
November 15, 2023
January 31, 2024
Compensation & Benefits
Stipend
$1,500 summer stipend and a $1,000 fellowship award upon completion of the fellowship.
Room & Board
Housing is provided at the University of Memphis. A meal stipend is provided.
Food
Meals are provided during orientation week. During the three weeks of camp, fellows are given a $250 food stipend and dinners are provided in the dining hall M-Th.
Training
Fellows engage in intensive pedagogical and content training through Memphis Teacher Residency, mentorship from a veteran classroom teacher, and hands-on teaching experience at the Marjorie Lee Browne STEM Discovery Camp.
Community
Shared experiences and collective learning with fellows from across the country, mentor teachers, MTR staff, and students.
“I’ve learned more here than I’ve learned from any other program or any experience I’ve ever had.”
-2023 STEM FELLOW
Attributes of a Fellow
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Passionate
Passionate about STEM education and investing in the next generation
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Persistent
Hard workers who do not give up when challenges arise
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Leader
People who lead by example and are role models for middle school campers
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Learner
Ready to learn from their summer experiences and are willing to try new things
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Community Builder
People who care about others and work to build positive relationships with MTR staff, fellows, and campers
How to Apply
To apply for the Browne STEM Fellowship, you must:
Be an undergraduate person of color
Be a college sophomore or junior enrolled in four-year college/university with a graduation date AFTER the summer of 2024. If you are graduating before the summer of 2024, please consider the Residency program instead.
Be interested in STEM education (STEM major preferred. Strong math knowledge and math background required).
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 2 – June 30, 2024)
Be available to be in Memphis for the entire duration of the fellowship
There are two application components:
Written Application: includes short answer questions, unofficial 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.Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Questions? Interested?
Fill out this inquiry form and we will get back to you!
Frequently Asked Questions
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College sophomores and juniors who are people of color majoring or minoring in STEM or STEM education. Each summer we have fellows come from across the country. 2.75 minimum GPA and US citizenship, Permanent Residency (Green Card) or DACA status is required.
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We pack a lot of learning and experience into the month-long internship. Here is a video from a former fellow and below is an outline of a typical camp day schedule for fellows:
7:00 - Wake up, eat breakfast, drive to camp
8:00 - Staff meeting
8:15 - 8:40 - welcome campers and lead team time
9:00 - 12:15 - Classes and Open Math Time*
12:15 - 12:40 - Lunch
12:45 - 2:20 - Class and Open Math Time
2:25 - 3:15 - Lead Activities
3:20 - 3:30 - Lead Team Time & Dismissal
* Fellows co-teach classes with their mentor teacher and lead a small group during Open Math Time. During one class period per day, they debrief with their mentor teacher.
Evening programming:
Mondays and Wednesdays: Fellows professional development from 3:45 - 4:45
Tuesdays and Thursdays: Faith & the Movement Seminars from 5:30 - 7:30
Weekend programming: We have a mix of optional and mandatory events during the weekends to allow fellows to explore Memphis and build community with each other. Events in the past have included a local minor league soccer game, game and trivia nights, dinners with MTR families and supporters, and optional church visits.
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All fellows will live in a furnished University of Memphis dormitory. We believe that living and working together offers a unique opportunity to build community and lifelong friendships.
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The fellowship and camp are named for Marjorie Lee Browne, a Memphis-born mathematician and educator who was one of the first Black women in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Dr. Browne was the chair of the department of mathematics and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University). Seeing the importance of computer science, she was able to bring an IBM computer to NCCU as early as 1960. 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. Her legacy is inspiring, and we are proud to continue the work of training mathematics educators and promoting mathematics education in her name. If you want to learn more about her, you can start by exploring these articles at Massive Science and BlackPast.
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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.”
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No, MTR does not provide transportation to and from the worksites or other activities during the summer. Bringing a car is strongly encouraged but not mandatory, as carpooling with other summer fellows is an option. Fellows are responsible for securing their own transportation to and from Memphis at the beginning and the end of the fellowship term.