Shawn Sheehan (M. Ed., 2011) was named an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow for 2018-19. He was one of 14 K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers from across the United States to earn the honor.
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program provides a unique opportunity for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to apply their extensive classroom knowledge and experiences to their host offices to inform federal STEM education efforts.
Federal agencies and U.S. Congressional Offices will benefit from fellows’ real-world experiences as educators. In return, Einstein Fellows will gain understanding of the role of the Federal Government in the U.S. education enterprise, knowledge of resources available to students and educators, and broader perspectives on national education issues that can be applied to the classroom or to leadership positions in their districts or elsewhere.
Sheehan was placed in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is in the office of Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ). Some of his tasks during the fellowship include identifying co-sponsorship opportunities for Rep. Grijalva, helping draft amendments and/or bills, researching policy issues in education, housing, science, and technology, and working closely with other Congressional offices and federal agencies.
The AEF Program, now in its 28th year of operation, is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists in collaboration with the sponsoring agencies and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
You can keep up with Sheehan’s Washington adventure by following him on Twitter at @SPSheehan.