The Adelphi University Science Education Advancement (SEA) Noyce Scholarship Program is providing scholarships to 26 students majoring in the sciences as they prepare to enter a science teaching career in a high-need public school. This program includes: 1) two field-based marine science courses that explore marine environments of Long Island, 2) a three-week internship with Nassau Board Of Cooperative Education Services Summer Marine Biology (BOCES), 3) a strong mentoring/induction program pairing scholars with an accomplished teacher-mentor from high-need partner schools, 4) mentorship by a National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certified teacher, and 5) assessments using the NBPTS Take One! program. The scope of educational reach of the partners in this project, Adelphi University and Nassau BOCES, makes this project an important contribution to the much needed effort to increase the quality and quantity of highly-qualified science teachers. The project's focus on 1) using marine sciences as a vehicle for the teaching and learning of all science disciplines and 2) preparing teachers to use marine environments in their own curriculum holds significant promise for the improvement of science education in a region spanning from New York City to the far reaches of Long Island, a region comprising some of the most important yet over-used coastal environments found along the Atlantic seaboard.
