Educators from school districts across Central Alabama are giving up a week of their summer vacation to participate in a week-long training program at Helena Middle School this week as part of The Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative at the University of Montevallo (AMSTI-UM) Summer Institute.

AMSTI-UM is holding its Summer Institute training workshops at three locations this summer, including two from the Shelby County School District.  The workshops are scheduled for June 13-24 from 8:00 am until 3:00 p.m. at Helena Middle School; July 13-22 at Oak Mountain Middle School; and July 18-22 at Hoover High School.  AMSTI-UM expects to train 1,400 participants, including teachers, trainers, and administrators, between the three training sessions.

Schools from many different systems, including 26 new schools, will be participating in the training program.  The 26 new schools are from Shelby County, Talladega County, Talladega City, Vestavia Hills City, Homewood City, Hoover City, Chilton County, Bibb County, and Coosa County school districts.

According to representatives with AMSTI-UM, one of the greatest things about this program is the equity of opportunity that it provides for students.  Because AMSTI-UM supplies all of the materials necessary for teaching math and science through activity-based lessons to the school or system, all schools have access to the best instructional materials available, coupled with ongoing teacher development and support through Teacher Leader Programs, Professional Learning Communities, coaching, and other best practices methods.

AMSTI-UM is not permitted to use any state funding to purchase food items or incentives for trainers or participants. Community partners have helped greatly with this.  Through the generous donations of Buffalo Rock, Carolina, Bud’s Best Cookies, Donut Joe’s, ETA, Frios, Golden Flake, HeyGotCoffee, Jim ‘N Nick’s, Lazy Boy BBQ, Magic City Sweet Ice, MugShots, Origo Education, Newk’s Eatery,  Taziki’s , AMSTI-UM is able to support the trainers and teachers this year who work tirelessly with the region’s children.