Bloomington, Indiana – In a significant expansion of its efforts to bolster STEM education across southern Indiana, Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) has named 19 outstanding educators to its eighth STEM Fellowship cohort. Beginning in August 2025, these teachers will join a growing network of 149 Fellows from 27 school districts spread over 11 counties in the Indiana Uplands. What’s more, ROI is launching a new mentorship initiative, enlisting five alumni Fellows to support the incoming educators as they work to bring real-world science, technology, engineering, and math strategies into classrooms.
This fresh cohort marks both growth and refinement in ROI’s commitment to preparing students for the STEM workforce. “The Indiana Uplands is home to a growing number of STEM career opportunities, and local employers are looking for talent equipped to lead in fields like advanced manufacturing, engineering, life sciences, and tech,” said Michi McClaine, Vice President of Talent Development at ROI. “To meet that need, it’s essential that students are introduced to STEM early and stay engaged as they move through their education.”
Central to this effort is the STEM Fellowship’s core mission: give educators the tools, skills, and industry insight to deepen STEM learning in their schools. McClaine emphasized this mission while announcing the mentor addition: “The ROI STEM Fellowship is designed to give educators the tools, experiences, and industry connections they need to bring real-world STEM learning into their classrooms. This year, we’ve expanded the program by inviting alumni to serve as mentors for our newest cohort. Their insight and experience help strengthen the Fellowship network and offer valuable peer support that benefits not just educators but entire school communities across the region. At the same time, this mentorship opportunity allows alumni to give back to the program that helped shape their own journey, and continue growing their careers as leaders in education in new and meaningful ways.”
A Year of Learning, Collaboration, and Resources
Teachers selected for the program are nominated by their principals and chosen through a competitive process administered by ROI. Once accepted, each Fellow embarks on a year-long transformational experience. Monthly professional development workshops host experts in fields ranging from computer science integration and robotics to AI and digital fabrication. Fellows are also connected to thriving STEM industries in the region through factory tours, university labs, and career roundtables. This cross-sector exposure helps educators gain firsthand insight into how subjects translate into real-world, high-demand jobs.
To further incentivize participation and support execution back in the classroom, ROI provides a $2,000 stipend at the conclusion of the fellowship year, accompanied by specialized STEM materials and instructional supports. Fellows are also encouraged to serve as in-house leaders, sharing best practices and insights with their peers, thus seeding deeper STEM integration across their schools.
Behind this investment is data-driven evidence. ROI’s Occupational Needs Assessments have repeatedly underscored that the Indiana Uplands needs a workforce fluent in STEM skills—from life sciences and cyber-physical systems to renewable energy and national security defense applications. Facilitating practice-based STEM instruction at younger ages is seen as essential to fulfilling these future career gaps and spurring economic vitality.
By guiding teachers in making real-world connections—linking lesson content to emerging employment—ROI builds a pathway from classroom learning to regional workforce readiness.
Meet the Mentor Cohort
For the first time, five accomplished STEM Fellowship alumni will step forward to support the incoming cohort:
• Cory Rayhill of Barr-Reeve Community Schools (Cohort 4) brings enthusiasm and a desire to give back. “As a mentor, I want to give back to a program that helped me grow,” Rayhill said. “I’m excited to support new Fellows, stay connected to the STEM community, and continue learning alongside others while helping bring real world STEM strategies to classrooms.”
• Tabitha Lengacher of North Daviess Community Schools (Cohort 3) sees mentorship as a dual opportunity: strengthen her peers, and continue evolving professionally. “I am eager to become a STEM Fellow mentor because I have a strong passion for STEM education,” Lengacher shared. “It has significantly reshaped how I view teaching and learning. I see this mentorship opportunity not only as a chance to support my fellow educators but also as a way to continue growing in my role.”
Mentors will attend each professional development session, provide feedback on program structure, and connect recent alumni with leadership development opportunities. This layer of experience elevates ROI’s capacity to cultivate multi-year leadership in STEM education—demonstrating the program’s maturity and strength.
“These efforts ensure the STEM Fellowship continues to serve as a model for educator leadership and regional alignment in STEM education,” McClaine remarked. “By supporting current and past cohorts of educators, ROI remains committed to sustaining a robust network of change-makers capable of shaping future ready classrooms and career pathways across the region.”
The ROI STEM Fellowship: Goals and Structure
1. Professional Development Across STEM Disciplines
Monthly sessions anchor the Fellowship. Topics include:
• Computer science integration—embedding coding and computational thinking in non-tech subjects
• Engineering design for hands-on construction and problem-solving projects
• Robotics and AI-driven tools to enhance student engagement
• Digital fabrication and microelectronics for maker-centered learning
These sessions bridge academia, industry, and the classroom, while granting access to regional sector partners.
2. Industry Connections and Career Pathways
Fellows tour manufacturing plants, labs, and energy facilities to glean insight into workplace expectations, equipment, and emerging innovations. They also attend roundtable discussions with STEM professionals, ensuring educators can share real-world examples and create authentic career pathways for students.
3. Financial and Resource Support
Stipends and STEM materials allow teachers to experiment with new projects and bring back lessons that may otherwise have been cost-prohibitive. The stipend also recognizes the extra time required to plan, attend, and reflect on the monthly Fellowship gatherings.
4. Leadership and Peer Mentorship
The new mentor structure enhances internal capacity. Mentors guide new participants on navigating classroom implementation, regional collaboration, and alignment with industry demands. They also gather feedback for ROI and participate in their own development opportunities.
5. Community of Practice
Graduates of the Fellowship gain access to a rich peer network across 27 school districts. Through alumni check-ins, webinars, and co-mentoring, educators maintain collaboration far beyond their fellowship year—sharing lesson plans, student project examples, and regional resources.
Broader Impact on Region and Workforce
Since its 2017 launch, the Fellowship has supported 149 educators—each tasked with reshaping STEM instruction, raising student interest, and helping build skills aligned to local industries. As ROI works across sprawling rural and semi-urban communities in the Indiana Uplands, the Fellowship aims to create durable pockets of excellence where even small schools can access complex STEM capabilities.
By honing teachers’ STEM leadership, ROI tackles a pressing challenge: many schools lack the training, resources, or confidence to offer computer science or robotics programming. The Fellowship builds teacher capacity to address this gap, making STEM more equitable and widespread in classrooms.
The rollout of mentors further cements this infrastructure of local champions. Mentorship doesn’t just boost current participants—it encourages alumni to remain engaged in program lifecycle and champion STEM excellence in their districts. Over time, mentors may help ROI launch additional initiatives in areas such as dual-credit opportunities, employer-sponsored student projects, or STEM entrepreneurship events.
Given the region’s economic growth in areas like life sciences facilities, advanced manufacturing plants, and clean energy hubs, the timing of this teacher-building approach is intentional and strategic. Smarter classroom experiences today translate into stronger applicant pools for tomorrow’s job openings.
On the Ground: Educator Benefits and Student Implications
Fellows routinely share stories of transformed classrooms. Bioengineering instructors who learned rapid prototyping return to school equipped to lead robotics clubs. Computer science coordinators bring real AI examples to classrooms with newfound confidence. Integration of microelectronics and digital fabrication gives middle schoolers hands-on access to circuits and sensors—sparking wonder and curiosity.
Students benefit most: they access more authentic, hands-on learning and get visibility into career paths outside their hometowns. The Fellowship encourages teachers to highlight age-appropriate activities—like half day job shadow visits or student-led career panels—making STEM careers visible and aspirational at younger ages.
As McClaine notes, “It’s essential that students are introduced to STEM early and stay engaged as they move through their education.” The regional talents and networks being mobilized through ROI’s program serve this purpose, and now the mentor network ensures deeper sustainment of activity.
What Lies Ahead
The Cohort 8 Fellows will begin workshops in August. Alumni mentors will attend each session, guiding the newly inducted through program expectations, classroom challenges, and career integration strategies. ROI will monitor academic results, classroom projects, and student engagement to measure success.
Given the Fellowship’s track record and evolving design, ROI is already hopeful about expanding the program further—perhaps adding summer institutes, expanding dual-credit course options, or providing seed support for student-teacher STEM projects in partnership with local employers.
By empowering more teachers to confidently teach computer science, robotics, digital fabrication, and related STEM topics, ROI plants seeds not just for workforce readiness, but for stronger school cultures, regional identity, and economic vibrancy.
Final Takeaway
Through the dual announcements of Cohort 8 and its mentorship layer, ROI demonstrates maturity and ambition. The STEM Fellowship goes beyond simply training teachers—it creates mentors, networks, and systemic connections across districts and industries in the Indiana Uplands.
Cory Rayhill and Tabitha Lengacher, by returning as mentors, embody the spirit of giving back. Meanwhile, the newer cohort of 19 educators starts an exciting journey with support from seasoned alumni and ROI’s proactive staff.
As ROI continues refining its model, its STEM Fellowship is shaping into a scalable model of rural–regional STEM leadership. And for students in small Indiana communities, the ripple effects are clear: more teachers equipped to ignite curiosity, more opportunities to explore high skill careers, and more momentum for the region’s future.
For more information about the Fellowship or to apply as a mentor or participant, visit ROI’s website and STEM Fellows page. The next phase of STEM education in the Indiana Uplands is underway—and it’s powered by educators, enthusiasts, and a shared passion for empowering tomorrow’s STEM leaders.
