The Hawai'i Noyce Teacher Scholarship (HINTS) project unifies the educational efforts and resources of the University of Hawai'i at Hilo (UHH), two community colleges (Hawai'i Community College and University of Hawai'i Maui College), and several Hawai'i Department of Education (DOE) complexes on the islands of Hawai'i, Molokai, Maui, and Lanai. HINTS is providing three-year scholarships and educational technology to 10 future mathematics secondary teachers while establishing a robust support structure of ongoing professional development and collaboration in mathematics education. Unique to this project is its focus on designing and implementing pedagogical models that meet the specific needs relating to Hawai'i's vast cultural and economic diversity. The project provides summer internships at a Math Camp, summer workshops, mentoring and the provision of math coaches for the new teachers. The collaboration among UHH, the community colleges, and Hawai'i DOE allows the HINTS faculty and scholars to fine tune the delivery of secondary mathematics instruction meeting the challenges of individual partnering complexes and schools. HINTS is expanding on these present partnerships and establish a permanent pipeline that draws talented mathematics majors from community colleges and lower-level UHH mathematics courses and assists them through teacher certification and licensure and into their first several years of teaching in high needs DOE secondary schools. This network of programs, resources, and collective recruitment efforts is strengthening ties between UHH, the community colleges, and several high need DOE complex areas on several islands. HINTS scholars are uniquely positioned to develop innovative pedagogical approaches in mathematics focused on teaching ethnically diverse classrooms.
