Brookwood Teacher Receives Fellowship

Jonathon Wetherington, who teaches science, is the  first teacher selected from the state to participate in the Society for Science & the Public's fellowship program.

The program seeks to reward and encourage teachers who serve under-resourced populations, and to enable them to inspire student's interests in science and math. Teachers selected receive a stipend of $8,500 a year for up to three to four years to conduct innovative and independent research that involves students.

"I am so excited to have been selected for the SSP Fellowship," Wetherington said. "The fellowship will allow me to develop a new student research program, which is a tremendous opportunity for our students because it will provide the opportunity to support independent student research projects and  scientific inquiry."

The fellowship program is in its third year, and Wetherington was among ten finalists this year. This year there were a large pool of applicants from 42 states and American Samoa, according to the Society for Science & the Public. Teachers were selected from urban and rural areas.

“Independent research projects give students the flexibility to explore their world and encourage the inquiry cycle," said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Society for Science & the Public, in a press release. "In offering these opportunities to their students, these teachers will enable a broad representation of our brightest students to fully explore their intelligence and creativity and apply them to finding solutions for our global challenges.”

At Brookwood High, Wetherington will use the funds and training provided by the nonprofit to develop a student research program at the school, which can serve as a model for other schools in the district and state.

Overall, this grant will allow our students to extend their critical thinking skills beyond the classroom, encourage independent thought, and prepare them for research experiences in college," Wetherington said. "It is basically an extracurricular opportunity which encourages the best and brightest Brookwood students to discover what their best is."

Wetherington teaches anatomy and biotechnology at Brookwood High, where he has been an educator since 2007. He is also currently an adjunct professor at Georgia Perimeter College. He holds a bachelor's of science degree from the University of Georgia and a doctorate in biological science and pharmacology from the Medical College of Georgia.

The fellowship is made possible through a grant from Intel. Society for Science & the Public is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., and its mission is to advance the role of science and math as a motivating force in U.S. classrooms.