2010 graduates present "Survival Guide for the First-Year Teacher"
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Summer Institute at UMass Dartmouth wrapped up today, ending 10 days of undergraduates learning about becoming teachers in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM professions) from area STEM teachers.
"Teaching is a profession that enhances every aspect of an individual's life," said Dr. Patricia Trina Crowley, who oversees the program at UMass Dartmouth's Associate Director of the Center for University, School and Community Partnerships (CUSP). "The future of our schools and students' lives will be impacted by the quality of their education and STEM majors have the potential to positively contribute to this imperative."
The Summer Institute gave participants the chance to spend 10 days on campus with free room and board as they participated in a series of projects, exhibitions, and "hands-on" learning experiences, which introduced them to current research.
In addition to gaining first-hand knowledge of the teaching profession, participants also received a $1,000 stipend upon completion.
Past Noyce Scholars at UMass Dartmouth presented their pamphlet, "Survival Guide for the First-Year Teacher." Written by James Knuutila, Michelle Pound and Katherine McDermott, the trio have already presented their work before hundreds at multiple conferences in the Northeast.
Among the first cohort of Noyce Scholars from UMass Dartmouth, Knuuttila is currently teaching high school mathematics at Ayer/Shirley Regional High School, McDermott is teaching 7th grade mathematics at Central Middle School in Quincy, and Pound has recently moved to California to pursue teaching opportunities there.
Noyce Scholarship Program Coordinator Kym Welty added, "I'm very proud of all of the UMass Dartmouth Noyce Scholars for choosing to enter the teaching profession and working to make a difference in students' lives. These are talented, gifted young people, with strong backgrounds in - and passion for - math or science, who want to share that knowledge with others."
More about the NSF Noyce Scholarship
The Noyce Scholarship program was created by the National Science Foundation in 2002 to recruit students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math to teach in high-need middle and high schools. At UMass Dartmouth, it offers undergraduates a $10,000 scholarship to complete their degree, and an additional $19,000 post-baccalaureate scholarship to earn their initial Massachusetts Teacher License. Noyce Scholars are placed in classrooms as apprentices for a year before teaching a class of their own.