Teaching SMART, a program of Girls Incorporated of Rapid City (South Dakota), a division of Youth & Family Services, is an equity-based, comprehensive three-year teacher professional development program designed to produce systemic change in the classroom by improving science education at the elementary school level. The mission of Teaching SMART is to encourage the performance and persistence of all students, particularly girls and minority youth, in elementary science. To achieve this end, Teaching SMART provides instruction and hands-on training for third through fifth grade teachers to increase their awareness of and comfort level in using equitable, hands-on inquiry, and exploration based approaches to teaching. The success of the program is based on its long-term commitment to educational renewal, which is accomplished through a comprehensive professional development training model.

What is Teaching SMART?

• Is a comprehensive, research-based, three-year professional development program for elementary teachers.
• Is designed to produce systemic change in the classroom through improving science education at the elementary school level.
• Is designed to change teacher practice in ways that improve student confidence and achievement.

Teaching SMART
Youth & Family Services
1920 Plaza Blvd., P.O. Box 2813
Rapid City, SD 57709-2813

1-800-529-1400
605-342-4195
605-342-0693 (Fax)

Email: tsmart@rapidnet.com
Megan Larson, Teaching SMART Director
Patricia Santhanam, Teaching SMART Project Specialist