In about two months, I'll be moving from one Washington to another. For the upcoming school year, I'll be working at the
National Science Foundation headquarters in the nation's capital. I'll be part of the Office of International Science and Engineering, which focuses on partnerships between US and foreign scientists. Most of my job duties will focus on grant administration: organizing grant applications, coordinating review panels, writing recommendations, and monitoring awardees.
Boring? I sure hope not. But even if it's not as high-energy as my normal days in the classroom, I'm looking forward to life on the East coast. Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach, Mystic Seaport, Colonial Williamsburg -- there's so much I've never seen. It's all part of my
Einstein Fellowship, which I was awarded this spring by the United States Department of Energy. Along with about thirty other teachers from around the nation, I'll be spending a year working at a government agency in Washington, DC. Some of the other fellows will work on Capitol Hill, some will work at the Department of Energy, others will work at NASA. The Fellowship program was created by the United States Congress in 1994 in the
Albert Einstein Distingushed Educator Act. This year's fellows will be the largest class ever. Originally, fellows worked only in the US Senate and House of Representatives, but over the years, other federal agencies have joined the program. The goal is that classroom teachers share their experience and expertise with government policy makers. It's also meant to be an opportunity for teachers to learn what it means to work in government and to gain new skills that they can take back home at the conclusion of the fellowship.
Moving 2500 miles from home--woah. That's a big move. Emily and I have decided to drive, but we're only taking one car. We toyed with the idea of going without a car, and just renting one when we need it, but when I did the math, it just didn't work out. Still, we're planning on living an a high-rise urban apartment where most places we need to go are just a short walk away. Essentially, we're shooting for a big-city experience for the upcoming year. Museums, concerts, government functions -- these are going to be a top priority for us next year. During the interview weekend in April, I finished interviews early one morning and spent a few hours at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. If the quality of the exhibits there is anything like the rest of the museums in DC, we're in for an amazing year of culture and adventure. Now, it's just a matter of finding a place to live, getting someone to rent our house, seeking a way to get health insurance, learning how to get new license plates...
