Faculty members from 3 colleges collaborates to secure the Noyce Scholars and Stipend Grant

There is a persistent and growing shortage in the supply of "highly qualified" future science and mathematics teachers in the nation's classrooms, according to the Education Resource Information Center. Currently the center states, more than half of the school districts in the U.S. report a struggle to retain and recruit qualified STEM Teachers. Notably, as many as 53% science and 23% math students take classes from teachers who are teaching out-of-field. 

This grant provides funds of 1 million dollars, which will assist in recruiting and preparing 30 new secondary education science and mathematics teachers. This grant will help expand the importance of retaining and celebrating expert teachers in urban schools even as new teachers are recruited to fill shortages and diversify the profession. This grant has set aside scholarships specifically to support students of color who already hold STEM degrees.

This demonstration of collaboration between faculty across campus established a focus on developing more pathways that will create opportunities for students who have not declared education a major to become STEM teachers.

The DSDST Noyce Scholar Grant is currently recruiting its first cohort of students to be in the Summer of 2022. The teaching experience required to obtain the teaching license will start with BreakThrough Cincinnati, a program that assists underrepresented students in entering college. This opportunity will create an accelerated pathway for selected scholars to complete their teaching licensure requirements in one calendar year (June to May). Once this credential is obtained, the chosen scholars will teach in a highly needed public school or school district for two years with continued support and mentoring while in the DSDST program.

Students currently in an engineering program or studying Math or Science are great candidates for this grant and should contact Helen Meyer via email for further details.