November 7, 2016

On Thursday, November 3, 2016, the DragonsTeach program won Drexel University’s President’s Award for Civic Engagement. This award is granted to professional staff and faculty with a strong personal commitment to engaging and collaborating with the community. It is distributed bi-annually to individuals who advocate President Fry’s mission to be one of the nation’s leading universities for civic engagement.

• This year, President Fry challenged faculty and professional staff to nominate colleagues that met one or more of the criteria below:“Contributed to the design and implementation of solutions and strategies intended to build sustainable communities, fostering Drexel’s commitment to civic engagement
• Had a positive impact and served to improve or change important issues within the community
• Addressed the community’s needs in extraordinary and innovative ways
• Instrumental in the creation, organization, and mobilization of other individuals, groups and resources that are involved in projects benefiting the community”

Established in 2014, DragonsTeach has been dedicated to addressing the national need for qualified STEM teachers by offering STEM majors the opportunity to obtain secondary teaching certification alongside their degree and co-op experience. Over the past two years, DragonsTeach has implemented over 100 inquiry-based STEM lessons with elementary, middle, and high-school students in the Philadelphia School District. The program runs monthly Professional Learning Community nights for local educators to hone-in on their practice and enhance their skillset. Furthermore, DragonsTeach has built local partnerships with organizations such as The Franklin Institute, Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia, and Drexel’s Dornsife Center to provide resources for STEM majors and to run initiatives that engage the community’s needs.

Congratulations to DragonsTeach faculty, staff, and students on a well-deserved win!