NSF Award
1136320
The Ithaca College (IC) Robert Noyce Scholarship Program is preparing 18 candidates to teach in high-need school districts primarily in central New York, New York City, and Washington, D.C. and supporting these scholars through their first four years of teaching. Scholars engage in the ongoing integration of research and education that are hallmarks of the mathematics and physics programs at Ithaca College, while also being mentored as teachers and scholars. Paid summer internships at the Ithaca Sciencenter and at the Newfield Recreation Summer Camps provide scholars the opportunity to engage in educational enrichment with K-12 students. During the academic year, scholars participate in on-campus tutoring, teaching assistant opportunities, field experiences at the Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem and in Washington, DC schools, and national mathematics or physics teaching conferences. Scholars complete the Ithaca College M.A.T. program and continue to be mentored during their first four years of teaching in a high-need school district by participating in summer workshops, working with project staff during periodic site visits, attending professional conferences, and participating in an online social network created in support of this project. Early engagement through "linking" courses make the connection between college-level STEM knowledge and secondary teaching explicit, thereby strengthening the scholars' content and pedagogical knowledge while providing first steps into the world of teaching. Summer internships provide further opportunities for Noyce scholars to engage in educational activities with students. Participation in early field experiences, engagement in education research, and mentoring by the project staff provide scholars with a strong foundation for developing their pedagogical and discipline-specific knowledge. In the senior year, scholars continue their training by tutoring high school students in the Advancement Via Individual Determination program and teaching their peers through on-campus teaching assistantships. Scholars also participate in regional and national education conferences and site visits to high-need schools, further engaging them in authentic teaching-related experiences. Mentoring and professional engagement continue throughout the 13 month M.A.T. program. The various cohorts of scholars interact in a summer workshop on the Ithaca College campus, with pre-service scholars learning from in-service scholars.
