Penn Engineering

Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship

Connecting Educators to Research

Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship is a yearlong professional learning experience designed for middle and high school educators ready to reimagine STEM. Through a dynamic partnership between UL Research Institutes and Penn Engineering, fellows step inside leading research labs, connect with scientists and faculty, and join a powerful regional network of innovators.

Participants explore data science, artificial intelligence, and safety science using the award-winning Xplorlabs platform, translating real-world research into classroom-ready lessons. With mentorship, community, and university affiliation, educators gain tools and confidence to lead students in solving local and global challenges. Discover what’s possible—and apply. Shape the future of STEM education.

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Program Overview

  • ULRI Informational Website
  • $2,500 Honorarium awarded in recognition of fellows’ expertise, time commitment, and dedication to innovation in education
  • Covered travel and expenses for the UL Research Institutes Annual Research Symposium, as well as select conferences
  • Access to Penn Engineering faculty, facilities, and research environments
    Professional recognition as a Penn Engineering Regional Educator Fellow

  • Nationwide cohort model: Fellows build sustained relationships with educators, researchers, and community stakeholders across the country
  • Access to leading-edge expertise: Direct engagement with Penn Engineering faculty and ULRI scientists working in artificial intelligence, data science, safety science, and STEM
  • Integrated focus on safety science, data science, and AI: Fellows collaborate to co-develop lessons grounded in emerging technologies and real-world phenomena
  • Multidisciplinary, classroom-ready learning: Educators explore how AI, data, and safety science intersect with their own subject areas
  • Fueling youth agency: Fellows empower students to investigate meaningful problems, imagine safer and more equitable futures, and turn multidisciplinary knowledge into action

  • Expose Penn Engineering Regional Educator Fellows to ULRI’s full suite of Xplorlabs resources
  • Provide access to opportunities in AI, Data Science, Safety Science, and STEM at Penn Engineering and beyond.
  • Connect fellows with Penn faculty, staff, subject matter experts, and cutting-edge research.
  • Leverage campus resources and place-based education models to foster innovation, discovery, and expanded access to STEM education for youth.
  • Inspire and equip fellows to design community-driven solutions that address real-world challenges, while uplifting local voices and contexts.
    Through this collaboration, we are opening doors for Penn Engineering Regional Educator Fellows to connect with world-class faculty, cutting-edge research, and powerful STEM resources. Our goal is simple: to inspire innovation, strengthen community, and expand access to the tools that will shape the future of our youth.

Connecting Educators to Engineering Innovation

 

Program Dates and Details

Program Dates (Tentative):

  • Application Opens: March 3, 2026
  • Application Closes: April 5, 2026
  • Decision Notifications: April 10, 2026
  • Program Start Date: May 13, 2026

Penn Engineering Team

Chanda Jefferson – Director of Community Engagement and Outreach
Dominique Thomas – Manager of Community Engagement and Outreach
Kyle Kacala – Manager of Fife – Penn STEM & CS Academy
Kayan Mohamed – STEM Coordinator
Luyando Kwenda – STEM Coordinator

ULRI Team

Megan O’Keeffe – Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship Lead
Dr. Amy Gilbert – Xplorlabs Facilitator
Kara Reeder – Xplorlabs Facilitator

Faculty Guests and Facilitators

Dr. Robert Ghrist
Dr. Chris Callison-Burch
Dr. Rachel Holladay
Dr. CJ Taylor
Dr. Laura Stubbs

Community Partners

Philadelphia Fire Department – Carl Randolph Sr., 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner

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Testimonials

“Through my journey with Xplorlabs, I have gained valuable insights into making science education more engaging and impactful. The combination of hands-on investigations, real-world applications, and student-driven projects transformed my classroom into a space where learning is dynamic and meaningful. By connecting science to everyday experiences like cellphone usage, students develop a deeper appreciation for STEM and its role in shaping their lives.”

 

“…the multifaceted and collaborative community that ASU, Penn Engineering, and Xplorlabs put together for the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship created an environment that is truly inspirational, from both a teaching and a leadership perspective. Our minds came together to learn and create our vision of safety science and how we can bring meaningful experiences back to our students in order to invoke curiosity, agency, and science identity. I entered this fellowship as a novel learner of all things safety science and built connections across multiple states with an incredible group of diverse teachers and learners.”

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