Adelphi Awarded $1.2 Million Grant to Prepare Future STEAM Educators

The National Science Foundation has awarded Adelphi University a $1.2 million grant to support The New York Noyce STEAM Pipeline: Preparing Next Gen Science Teachers at Adelphi University. This program aims to recruit, support and prepare 24 science teachers, including those from typically underrepresented groups, to take science teaching positions in high-needs school districts.

STEAM is STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) with the addition of the arts.

U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice announced the news of the grant on April 23, 2019. “Right now, we’re facing a national shortage of educators who are equipped to teach science, technology, engineering and math—subjects that are critical to preparing students for college and the 21st-century economy,” said Rep. Rice. “That’s why this grant program is so important—it will allow Adelphi University to recruit, train and support new STEM teachers for our local schools. This vital funding will ensure that our students receive an education today that will prepare them for the job market of tomorrow.”

“I am delighted to see this project funded,” said Tracy Hogan, Ph.D., associate professor of science education and principal investigator for the grant project. “We see this as a great opportunity to advance the vision and mission of Adelphi University in its commitment to supporting the development of science teachers working in our underserved school districts on Long Island and in the metropolitan area.”

Other Adelphi faculty involved in the grant include Cindy Maguire, Ph.D., Emily Kang, Ph.D., Andrea Ward, Ph.D., Aaren Freeman, Ph.D., and Matt Curinga, Ed.D.

Undergraduate and graduate scholarship tracks are available. Undergraduates working to obtain baccalaureate degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics or environmental studies will be recruited through Adelphi’s Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP), a five-year combined baccalaureate and master’s degree program for students preparing to teach at the adolescent level. They will receive financial support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce) for their junior, senior, and master’s-degree years. The Noyce program provides funding to institutions of higher education for scholarships, stipends and programmatic support to recruit and prepare STEM majors and professionals to become K-12 teachers.

In addition, one year of support will be provided to STEM professionals (i.e., graduates from STEM programs and/or career changers from STEM fields) as they earn Master of Arts in Education degrees with teacher certification. This grant aims to address an acute shortage of well-prepared grades 7-12 science teachers on Long Island and in Queens.

The grant serves to unite the efforts of the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences at Adelphi University and program partners: the Mineola Public Schools, the Queens High School of Teaching, Liberal Arts and the Sciences/New York City Department of Education, Global Kids and Operation SPLASH.