This project seeks to serve the national need for high-quality STEM teaching by encouraging talented undergraduate mathematics, chemistry, or biology majors at Florida Memorial University to become certified secondary STEM teachers. As part of the recruitment strategy, sophomore STEM majors will serve as interns in mathematics/science-related summer programs for local K-12 students. Selected students will receive scholarships to help them pursue both their STEM degree and a second major in science or mathematics education. The Scholars will be mentored by experienced high school teachers who serve in high-need settings. During their last year of college, the Scholars will complete a teaching internship and an education action research project focused on STEM teaching and learning in an urban environment. This combination of academics, financial support, and mentoring is expected to help students gain the knowledge and skills needed to be highly effective STEM teachers at high-need schools in the Miami-Dade Public School System. The project’s broader impacts include enhancement of the undergraduate students' learning experiences through the interdisciplinary focus of the curriculum and through the project's student cohort-based structure. The project intends to emphasize recruitment of academically talented underrepresented and/or first-generation college students.
This project at Florida Memorial University is in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The project includes collaborative relationships among high-need schools, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education at the University. The project goals are to provide scholarships for 14 talented STEM majors and to prepare them to be effective STEM teachers in high-need schools. Implementation plans include activities that are known to improve student outcomes such as strategic course placement, tutoring, advising, mentoring, seminars, and opportunities to engage in research projects and internships. Findings and best practices of this project will be disseminated through research and scholarly publications and presentations at professional conferences. The evaluation will be conducted by an external evaluator using surveys and student performance in specific courses and certification exams to gather both quantitative and qualitative information. The results will be used to improve all aspects of the project, many of which will continue beyond the project's duration. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
