March 28, 2024

UMW Awarded NSF Noyce Grant to Provide Scholarships to STEM Education Students

Recently renovated Seacobeck Hall is home to the College of Education at the University of Mary Washington. A newly announced National Science Foundation grant will help UMW prepare future STEM educators.

Recently renovated Seacobeck Hall is home to the College of Education at the University of Mary Washington. A newly announced National Science Foundation grant will help UMW prepare future STEM educators.

Students interested in becoming high-school STEM-subject teachers now qualify for up to two years of funding at the University of Mary Washington, with the establishment of the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program at UMW. Funded by a $1.4 million five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the Noyce Program brings a nationally acclaimed teacher preparation program to one of Virginia’s historic teacher colleges, which now excels in undergraduate education across the liberal arts and sciences.

“This NSF-funded project will create powerful learning experiences for students who want to teach in STEM fields. I am deeply grateful to the team that spearheaded this project. This will help address the serious teacher shortage in these high-demand disciplines,” said UMW College of Education Dean Pete Kelly.

UMW, in partnership with Germanna Community College, will use the NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program funds to recruit, train and retain teachers of science, technology, engineering and math in secondary schools considered high-need.

Current and future UMW students and Germanna transfer students – whether majoring in education or not – can be considered for the program, which provides up to $24,000 per student in each of their last two undergraduate years. In return for each year’s scholarship, Noyce Scholars commit to two years of teaching biology, chemistry, computer science, Earth science, math or physics in qualifying schools. Read more.