Cornell University and the Ithaca community have many opportunities for graduate students to gain experience teaching, educational outreach, and mentoring. Many of them are listed below, or feel free to submit additional opportunities on the forum.

First-year Writing Seminars  – First-year Writing Seminar teaches students to write in a range of genres and in ways that emphasize clarity, coherence, intellectual force, and stylistic control. Approximately two-thirds of these are designed and taught by graduate students, and address discipline-specific topics.

Cornell Prison Education Program – Doctoral candidates who have passed the A exam can apply to instruct a course, others can become teaching assistants.

School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions – Exceptional candidates (particularly those who have already attained a PhD) may propose a Summer or Winter session course or new online learning offering.

Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) – EYH is a one-day conference for 7th–9th grade girls organized and led by Cornell students and faculty. The goals of the conference are to stimulate the participants’ interest in math and science through these hands-on activities, to provide them with female scientist role models, and to foster awareness of opportunities in math and science-related careers.

GRASSHOPR – The Graduate Student School Outreach Program (GRASSHOPR) pairs Cornell graduate students with teachers in Tompkins, Tioga, and Seneca counties to teach 3 to 5 session mini-courses on topics related to the graduate student’s field or interests. Teachers and graduate students share the benefits of exchanging ideas as they develop a curriculum, while K-12 students experience new mentors in their classroom who are eager to share knowledge and excitement about their field of study.

Splash – Splash a one-day event where high school and middle school students come to Cornell’s campus to learn anything (literally!) and discover that learning is fun. Splash teachers, administrators, and volunteers are all Cornell graduate and  undergraduate students.cor

Ithaca Freeskool – Whatever you want to teach or learn, you can set up your course in the community through Ithaca Freeskool.

CNF Ambassadors – A new outreach program run by the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility, engaging graduate students with area K-12 classes and informal education groups. Participants will also take part in the spring NanoDays celebration.

Cornell Naturalist Outreach Program – an opportunity for graduate students to learn about and participate in outreach to local K-12 schools through a structured course. Participants create videos, serve as guest speakers, and plan the annual fall Insectapalooza.

Adjuncting and Part-time Lecturing Opportunities

BTI Postdocs teach Bio 101 @ BTI – a 2014 article about Boyce-Thompson Institute’s collaboration with Tompkins Cortland Community College.

Learn More

Teaching Options for Graduate Students and Post-Docs – Advice from the University of Washington Graduate School