The Southern Mississippi College of Science and Technology is meeting the increasing demand for highly qualified STEM teachers in the state of Mississippi with greater efforts to recruit students into science teacher preparation programs. The Noyce Scholars Program at the University of Southern Mississippi is an integral part of this recruiting effort, building on the existing secondary level licensure programs in chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics housed within their respective content departments in the College. These established programs are designed to produce highly qualified STEM teachers with degrees in the content areas. Twenty-nine teacher candidates in these discipline areas are being funded and trained as Noyce Scholars. They are recruited from currently enrolled STEM students at both Southern Mississippi and local community colleges. Scholarship recipients are required to fulfill a community service-learning project, such as volunteering as tutors in the school districts or as peer mentors/tutors on campus. The heart of the Noyce Scholar experience is the New Teacher Induction Program. This program provides a supportive infrastructure including a community of learners, an on-line bulletin board, mentoring by experienced teachers, and professional development opportunities as the new teachers begin teaching in "high needs" school districts primarily located in southern Mississippi. Activities for the new teachers include a special session in their respective content area, Noyce Scholar Reflections, and support for attendance at the annual state professional conferences.
