The creation of the College of the Science Teacher Preparation Program (CoS TPP) in 2000 and the Secondary Education Program in Mathematics (SEPM) in 2003 have resulted in increased numbers of science and mathematics majors entering secondary level teacher preparation. The University of Arizona's (U of A) Robert Noyce Scholars Program: (1) Recruits and prepares up to 56 STEM undergraduate majors from Pima Community College (PCC) and the U of A for science or mathematics teaching careers at high-need middle or high schools, and (2) supports the professional development of Noyce Scholars in their early years of teaching. The recruitment pool is second year STEM students at PCC and second year STEM undergraduates at the U of A. Up to 14 scholars receive scholarships for third or fourth year support based upon the selection factors of academic merit, financial need, cultural diversity, and motivation to teach in high-need schools. The third and fourth years of the scholars' preparation occur in either the CoS TPP or the SEPM. The U of A and PCC collaborate with the Sunnyside School District and the Tucson Unified School District to develop and oversee the Noyce Scholars Program. These Districts have 76% and 48% student population in the free and reduced lunch programs, respectively.
