June 22, 2009
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University has received a National Science Foundation grant of nearly $900,000 for a program to increase the number of science and mathematics teachers.
WKU has been awarded $898,781 from the NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, which seeks to encourage talented science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers.
Through the five-year grant (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2014), WKU will initiate and fund the WKU Science and Mathematics Alliance for Recruitment and Retention of Teachers (SMARRT) Program.
The program will be dedicated to increasing the number of highly qualified mathematics and science teachers through a comprehensive recruiting and retention plan. Current high school students as well as current WKU STEM students will be recruited into this program, which will offer opportunities for internships, scholarships, mentoring and other incentives for these students to pursue teaching as a career.
The grant will benefit mathematics and the sciences as well as other related programs such as SKyTeach, a WKU program funded in 2007 by the Exxon/Mobil Foundation through the National Mathematics and Science Institute.
“This grant award builds on the collaboration between the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Ogden College of Science and Engineering,” said Dr. Blaine Ferrell, dean of Ogden College. “The efforts related to this grant will build on the efforts of the SKyTeach Program which it complements very nicely.”
Dr. Hope Marchionda, assistant professor of mathematics, will serve as the Principal Investigator, while Dr. Kerrie McDaniel from the Department of Biology and Dr. Vickie Metzgar and Dr. Janet Tassell from the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences will serve as Co-Principal Investigators for this grant.
“The grant program incorporates components critical to recruitment, education and retention of individuals to become effective teachers including mentoring prior to and upon completion of the program, and opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in university coursework in educational service opportunities,” said Dr. Sam Evans, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Ogden College of Science and Engineering at (270) 745-4449 or College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at (270) 745-4662.
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