Bowling Green State University, committed to addressing the ongoing national teacher shortage, is launching a new scholarship program to assist individuals with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – or STEM – backgrounds in obtaining their teaching licensure in an accelerated, convenient format.
The Noyce Teacher Scholarship program at BGSU, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, will give eight students with a roughly $20,000 stipend each to cover almost all of the costs of acquiring their teaching license online in one year. Applications for classes starting in August are now being accepted.
Interested candidates should be current STEM professionals eager to share their knowledge and passion with students, mid-career professionals seeking a career transition, or recent STEM graduates with a non-education bachelor’s degree.
BGSU is one of Ohio’s leading providers of teacher education graduates, and program officials say the competitive NSF award will allow the university to build on its long-standing reputation as a quality teacher training school while also meeting a significant need.
“BGSU is proud to have the National Science Foundation’s support to help us meet the growing need for science and math teachers in our school systems,” said Angela Falter Thomas, associate professor of education and the grant’s main investigator. “This initiative is completely consistent with the university’s objective of being a public university for the common good. We are all committed to having successful instructors in all areas of education.
Students accepted for the BGSU Noyce Teacher Scholarship program will bring unique perspectives and skills to classrooms, since they already have a plethora of knowledge and experience.
“One of the best ways to engage students in STEM is to provide them with real-life opportunities,” said Tracy Huziak-Clark, head of BGSU’s School of Inclusive Teacher Education and co-principal investigator on the grant. “If a teacher’s background is in water quality, being able to show students the sampling and testing skills that they acquired as a STEM professional will help students further understand the ‘why’ behind the learning.”
Meeting students where they are, the BGSU program will allow teacher candidates to advance their studies and change careers while maintaining their existing lifestyle. In-person activities are limited to experience school visits, which are essential to get a teaching license, and students receive assistance both during and after their time in the program.
“Flexibility and convenience are built into the program to support our students every step of the way,” said Huziak-Clark. “The BGSU Noyce Teacher Scholarship program is an excellent alternative pathway to the education profession and allows us to get new teachers into classrooms at a critical time.”
“Every candidate will be paired one-on-one with a BGSU math or science education faculty member to guide them through all of the courses and experiential learning,” Thomas stated. “Then, during their first year of teaching, they will continue to receive mentoring and support from those same faculty members.”
BGSU, which is nationally renowned for its top-tier education programs, is Ohio’s only university to use Mursion. Students in the BGSU Noyce Teacher Scholarship program will improve their teaching skills using cutting-edge technology without the need for a physical classroom.
“As an avatar-based program, future teachers will use Mursion to practice their skills with a real and in-the-moment reaction from virtual students,” Huziak-Clark stated. “We have found that students who practice with Mursion feel an increase in confidence and have seen this translate seamlessly into practice in actual classrooms.”
For more information on the BGSU Noyce Teacher Scholarship program and to apply, visit BGSU.edu