The Initiating New Science Partnerships in Rural Education (INSPIRE) project between Mississippi State University and three rural school districts in North-Central Mississippi focuses on technology-supported, inquiry-based learning in the Earth and Space sciences for 7th-12th grade classrooms. The interdisciplinary project includes 50 research fellows from three STEM disciplines (Geosciences, Physics, and Engineering) where they will be partnered with a teacher.

The project focuses on five essential goals: 1) enhance fellows’ communication, teaching, and team-building skills; 2) develop and implement technology-supported, inquiry-based instructional materials that infuse fellows’ STEM research; 3) increase K-12 science teachers’ content knowledge and technological skills; 4) build partnerships between K-12 school districts and university STEM disciplines that serve to support K-12 students’ pursuit of higher education and STEM-related careers; 5) provide international research experiences for fellows and teachers where they receive training across geographic borders.