CIRCLE has received funding as part of a $3 million dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop and implement a program that will train current and future faculty members in inclusive teaching methods. The project is called Inclusive Learning and Teaching in Undergraduate STEM Instruction, and will continue for five years.The funds will be shared among eight institutions, including: Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Boston University, the University of Georgia, Washington University in St. Louis, Des Moines Area Community College, and Marshalltown Community College.
The project aims to develop content that utilizes theater and improvisational techniques to increase awareness of social identity, power, and other issues related to diversity and inclusion. The content will be delivered to scholars and educators through online workshops and in-person training sessions, and is designed to reach more than 500 current faculty and 4,000 STEM graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. It is estimated that 25,000 STEM undergraduate students will benefit from the trainings. CIRCLE will assist with evaluation through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations.