GTP Professional Development Program at Delta State Draws Record Attendance

The Global Teaching Project’s annual Professional Development Program at Delta State University, held at the outset of each academic year, drew record attendance this August, with over 50 educators from around Mississippi coming to DSU’s Cleveland campus.

Classroom instructors who are teaching Advanced Placement STEM classes through GTP in 2026-27 participated in sessions in Biology, Computer Science, Physics, and Statistics to help them prepare for the coming year.  Those sessions were led by subject matter experts from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Yale, including a teacher recently honored by the National Science Foundation as the top science teacher in the state, as well as the faculty member at the University of Mississippi School of Education responsible for Secondary Science Education.

GTP’s core mission is to provide excellent instruction in advanced STEM classes to promising students in rural, high-poverty communities who otherwise may not have access to those courses.

To do so, GTP implements a blended curriculum that utilizes various instructors:

• Supervising Instructors prepare lesson plans, oversee pedagogy, and lead in-person instructional programs for students and professional development programs for classroom teachers at Mississippi universities.
• Teaching Assistants—STEM experts who are current students at, or recent graduates of, 40 universities from around the country—provide instruction in person at university-based residential programs and, at the outset of each academic year, at participating high schools.  TAs also provide instruction throughout the school year, largely by videoconferences, typically twice a week.
• Classroom Teachers present substantive instruction, ensure students remain on task, and have primary responsibility for each class.

The Professional Development Program at Delta State takes place at the beginning of each academic year to help classroom teachers, who have a range of backgrounds, effectively teach their classes.  The Program at Delta State, together with various supports provided throughout the school year, covers course content, teaching techniques, and classroom demonstrations to assist classroom teachers.  In turn, those classroom teachers help their students achieve their full potential.

The very strong turnout for the PD program, and the commitment evident among the educators present, has provided positive momentum for the academic year ahead.