The Global Teaching Project provides promising students in rural, high-poverty Mississippi communities access to advanced STEM classes their schools otherwise may not offer.  Last year, GTP worked with hundreds of students in 39 schools to offer four classes—AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics 1, and AP Statistics. Each of those schools have success stories that emphatically affirm GTP’s premise—every community has bright students with the aptitude and work ethic needed to excel academically, if provided the opportunity and strong support. John Knighten and Angel Lewis, seniors at Madison S. Palmer High School in Marks, recently achieved two of …

Teachers and administrators from 19 schools in 16 school districts came to Delta State University in Cleveland, MS in mid-August to prepare for classes in AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics 1, and AP Statistics to be offered through the Global Teaching Project in the 2024-2025 academic year. A total of 47 educators participated in the DSU Professional Development program, at which AP-certified Supervisory Instructors led sessions to deepen teachers’ understanding of course content, explore effective teaching strategies for advanced STEM subjects, and collaborate in small-group activities designed to foster their growth as educators. GTP’s blended instructional model …

Each August, teams of Global Teaching Project Teaching Assistants–current STEM majors at, and recent graduates of, leading universities around the country–visit schools throughout rural Mississippi to work in-person with students and teachers to help GTP’s Advanced Placement STEM courses get off to a strong start. The August visits are a key component of a sequence of instructional initiatives throughout the year that help GTP students succeed in rigorous AP science classes. GTP’s students are selected by their schools based on their aptitude and work ethic, but they often have significant gaps in their substantive foundations.  GTP works to help students …

Oso, a Texas native, graduated from Yale in 2023 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. While at Yale, Oso excelled in the classroom, in the arts, and on the football field.  Oso has earned acclaim for his art, and also was a standout defensive end, earning recognition as one of the nation’s top scholar-athletes.  Oso was among just 15 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the “academic Heisman” presented by National Football Foundation to college football’s premier scholar-athlete, for which Oso was awarded a postgraduate scholarship. Oso first began work with GTP in 2019 while still a Yale undergraduate, …

Entrepreneur Stedman Graham, who works to promote educational opportunities for underserved students across the United States and around the world, has joined the Global Teaching Project’s Advisory Board. Stedman Graham has worked for more than thirty years writing books, working with corporations, schools, and communities, teaching in universities, supporting nonprofits, and speaking to audiences nationally and internationally. The author of 12 books, including two New York Times best sellers and one Wall Street Journal bestseller, Mr. Graham lectures and conducts leadership training programs for corporations and educational organizations worldwide. Stedman Graham has worked closely with GTP for several years, implementing his …

The Global Teaching Project’s Advanced STEM Summer Preparatory Program, now in its eighth year, provides immersive instruction in a residential, university-based setting to help promising high school students get ready for the rigor of the Advanced Placement science courses they will take through GTP in the upcoming school year. The Summer Program is provided free of charge to students, and uses no state or local funds. This year’s Summer Program, once again held at Mississippi State’s main Starkville campus, was a major success, drawing approximately 100 students from across the state to study AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, AP …

From Classrooms to Change The importance of education and educators by Madison Butchko Classrooms weren’t just places of learning for me; they were my second home. With both my parents as teachers, I’ve been immersed in the world of teaching from the very beginning. After my elementary school day ended, while my parents were still working, I’d settle into the back of my mom’s classroom. There, I’d read, fold origami from printer paper, or attempt redecorating her classroom. What I loved most was writing fun messages and doodling cute animals on the whiteboard. For middle school, I attended the same …

Students in the Global Teaching Project’s Advanced STEM Access Program just concluded the academic year by taking Advanced Placement exams in AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics 1, and AP Statistics. 
 
Simply by taking the exams, our students earned a place among the state’s top students. 

The Global Teaching Project’s eighth annual Advanced STEM Summer Preparatory Program will be held June 17 – June 21 at Mississippi State University in Starkville.  The Summer Program provides valuable preparation for students who will be taking AP Science courses through Global Teaching Project in the 2024-2025 academic year. The Summer Program provides, free of charge: Immersive instruction from experienced, AP-certified instructors and other subject matter experts Extensive tutoring and academic support from Teaching Assistants who are STEM majors at, or recent graduates of, prominent universities across the country—including Yale, Virginia, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and elsewhere Lodging in Mississippi State dormitories Meals at Mississippi State dining halls Recreational activities at Mississippi State facilities Workshops on college admissions and financial aid in which each student will create a college …

This story is part of the 2024 Journey to Commencement series, which celebrates the pinnacle of the academic year by highlighting University of Mississippi students and their outstanding academic and personal journeys from college student to college graduate.

Thanks to the dedication of many administrators, teachers, students, and staff, the 2024 Advanced STEM Instructional Program in Jackson was, as one of our AP Physics teachers commented, “a huge success”, drawing approximately 200 students and educators.