by Gail Richmond, Principal Investigator
Michigan State University’s College of Education is committed to addressing the preparation and retention of high-quality, responsive STEM teachers in an intensive and sustained way.
Two recent efforts mark this distinct commitment.
One is the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching fellowship, targeted at preparing and supporting individuals with STEM backgrounds who have a commitment to working with young people in high-need schools. The program development, evaluation and research work begun in this program has grown into partnerships with school districts such as Detroit, Lansing, Jackson and Grand Rapids. The W. K. Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching fellowship offers many benefits, including a $30,000 stipend.
This work has led to a second grant, funded by the National Science Foundation, called the MSU’s Noyce SETS-UP (Supporting Early-Career Teachers of Science through Urban Partnerships) program–which has many of the same goals and is an extension of the work already in progress. This fellowship also covers in-state tuition and offers salary support for the first four years of teaching, once the program is completed.
One of the hallmarks of both of these intensive and field-based programs is the support of newly certified teachers–both face-to-face and virtually. No matter where they begin, this support continues across the critical early years of their careers.
As we move forward in preparing STEM teachers, our goal is to continue providing outstanding educators who contribute to the stability of their schools, who can help these schools meet the needs of their young learners, and who will serve as leaders in these schools and in their communities.