Thirty one students in Biology Education and Mathematics Education programs are receiving annual scholarships of $10,000 during their junior and senior years. Current best practices in recruitment strategies, pre-service training, and retention strategies for new teachers are utilized. The program also emphasizes professional engagement by early involvement in professional organizations through attendance at state and regional workshops.
An attempt is made to interest students in teaching as early as possible so that they can shape experiential learning around gaining insight into the nature and problems of teaching. Under the direction of a Noyce program mentor, students can choose service learning projects, internships, or undergraduate research opportunities to enhance their awareness of teaching. As part of the effort, fifty high school students annually are invited to attend a three day summer camp intended to involve and motivate them toward a STEM major and a possible career in teaching.
Student teaching and fulfillment of the Noyce scholars' service obligations are primarily occurring in the Alpine, Nebo and Provo school districts. These high need school districts have been experiencing extreme difficulty in hiring sufficient number of qualified mathematics and science teachers.
