Caltech is comprised of many teams working collaboratively to accomplish amazing things. In recognition of the great work of teams the Team Impact Award was introduced in 2016. The award recognizes and rewards those teams that make significant contributions to the work and mission of the Institute. Teams who receive the award should be able to demonstrate that their work impacted and supported the research and/or education programs at the Institute.
Founded in 2012, the Center for Teaching, Learning, & Outreach (CTLO) supports Caltech's educational mission through services including: working with faculty and teaching assistants on teaching methods and course design; fostering opportunities for students to grow as mentors, leaders and tutors; and connecting Institute researchers with K-12 teachers and students through outreach programs.
Below are several excerpts from the nominations:
- "In the short amount of time that Caltech has had a Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach, the CTLO has had a tremendous positive impact on the educational quality at Caltech. They have benefited diverse members of the community, from students who are taking classes, to TAs who are learning how to be instructors, to faculty who want to improve their class, and to anyone who is interested in outreach." - Faculty Nominator
- "[CTLO] has managed to have a sizable impact on the quality of teaching at Caltech and on the quality of our outreach programs (e.g., on-line courses). The CLTO has managed to achieve this…by building a strong team with deep understanding of the science of teaching and of the services required to move this into the classroom, and also by providing a series of highly-demanded services from seminars on the science of teaching, to training events for our graduate students, to reading groups, to hands-on help to faculty to improve specific courses… In my [nearly 18 years] as a faculty member...I have never seen a staff member and small team that are having such an enormous positive impact on the institution's mission." - Faculty Nominator
- "The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach is doing transformative work on the campus, above all in our own classrooms... Our outreach programs in the community...are making a great contribution for local students and also opening us to the world... [CTLO] has been revolutionizing an essential part of the Institute's work that many faculty would have liked to improve but without quite knowing where to start." - Faculty Nominator
- "Every session with the CTLO has been an excellent use of my time; whether a participant or planner, I have left each information-rich encounter with some new understanding about teaching and learning that I could implement immediately in my role as a TA and that I continue to reference as I learn new subjects and teach new students." - Alumni Nominator
- "Having a resource like the CTLO available enables community engagement at all levels, since their help and guidance reduces the barriers to becoming involved in leadership and advocacy efforts." - Graduate Student Nominator