Jennifer Childress, a high school science teacher in Alaska, recently completed the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. During her fellowship, Childress was part of the Department of Defense (DoD) STEM program. Her experience as an educator proved valuable to helping shape some of the programming offered through DoD STEM. In this episode, Michael Holtz and Bryan Campbell talk to Childress and Jill Latchana, ORISE program manager for the AEF program. The AEF program provides unique opportunities for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to serve 11 months in

a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office. Einstein Fellows bring their extensive classroom knowledge and experience to their host offices to inform federal STEM education efforts. Einstein Fellows gain knowledge, resources, and broader perspectives on national educational issues that can then be brought back to the classroom or to leadership positions in their districts or elsewhere. Einstein Fellows bring their expertise, practical insights, and real-world experience as classroom teachers to Congress and to branches of federal government in an effort to contribute to the educational outcomes of research, award, and instructional programs at the sponsoring agencies. To learn more, or to apply for the AEF, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices.