The Robert Noyce Scholarship Program at the University of New Hampshire

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The Robert Noyce Scholarship Program at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is designed to attract undergraduates from a range of STEM disciplines as well as STEM professionals choosing a change of career to teach science and mathematics in fifth through twelfth grades. The project is supporting the preparation of 28 new teachers who choose to work in high need school districts through a successful and recognized preparation program modified to address issues and strategies for working in rural, high need districts, and to provide continued mentoring and professional development during the novice teachers' induction years. UNH Noyce Scholars are receiving an enhanced academic and clinical preparation, provided through a strong, sustained collaboration among faculty in the physical sciences, life sciences, mathematics and education, in concert with the diversity of experiences offered by the UNH TRIO programs. UNH's five-year teacher preparation program culminating in a Master's degree provides for a year-long internship as well as other clinical experiences through pedagogical course work. The UNH Noyce Scholarship program is expanding the teacher preparation program by offering multiple opportunities for undergraduates to tutor and mentor at-risk middle school and high school students from high need districts through summer internships. In addition, a series of seminars focus on rural educational issues such as professional isolation, addressing the needs of at-risk students, and scarcity of funding for special education to better prepare future teachers and help to increase retention rates of new STEM educators in rural, high need districts. Induction support uses the resources of e-Mentoring for Student Success, an electronic learning community for new teachers and faculty mentors. Many school districts in the state of New Hampshire are rural, characterized by low student populations, low household income, and low educational achievement. Schools in these communities record high teacher turnover rates and insufficient numbers of well-prepared new teachers in the STEM disciplines. The UNH Noyce Scholars are being prepared to teach in these rural school districts.