WNMU Noyce Track 1 Capacity Building grant to strengthen STEM teacher preparation.

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Western New Mexico University (WMNU) has received a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Capacity Building grant to 1) develop and strengthen the teacher preparation network and pipeline from high school to college; 2) strengthen collaboration between the School of Education (SOE) and the STEM Departments at WNMU to more efficiently and effectively produce STEM teachers; and, 3) recruit high school and undergraduate students to consider STEM and STEM teaching careers through a focused effort to engage prospective STEM students in active teaching experiences early in their career. Through these activities, the PI team will build the critical capacity to effectively recruit high school and university students into the STEM teacher preparation program. Such a robust recruitment pathway will allow WMNU to have an impact on the national need to increase the number of STEM teachers and, in particular, to increase the number of Hispanic students who go into STEM teaching. The WMNU PI team will develop an innovative workshop, the Mustang Science & Education Academy (MSEA), which will focus on developing collaborative relationships among the SOE, STEM departments and regional school districts. MSEA will also provide the needed active learning experiences for our students who express an interest in becoming STEM teachers. The project also is building connections to industry partners and regional educational agencies. These connections will help facilitate the recruitment, support, and induction of future STEM teachers. The evaluation of the project will provide an understanding of the effectiveness of the recruitment strategies that will inform the recruitment practices of teacher preparation programs across the country.