Spring Break
School of Ed. gets $900k grant to help attract new teachers
Meghan Kruger
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: News
The Neag School of Education recently received a $900,000 grant to attract future teachers in subject areas that generally have a shortage, according to Dr. Mike Alfano, director of the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates.
The grant, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, will help promote the Teachers for Tomorrow project, which works with aspiring teachers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at the middle and high-school levels, as part of a national initiative to increase the number of teachers in these fields.
"These areas are typically critical shortage areas," said Alfano, citing that Connecticut reflects the national trend of a shortage of teachers in the STEM fields.
The Teachers for Tomorrow program has $15,000 scholarships available for college graduates, as well as students who will graduate in May.
"Our goal is to put 50 more teachers in the STEM areas in Connecticut, which is a lot considering how small the state is," said Alfano.
Applicants for the scholarship must be full-time entering graduate students pursuing teaching certification in math or science, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident as well as have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
In addition, recipients must commit to teaching in a high-needs school for a minimum of two years.
"[Urban school districts] are affected by these shortages the most," said Alfano. "Those are the schools where teachers are really needed."
The Teachers for Tomorrow project will run in accordance with TCPCG program at the West Hartford and Waterbury regional campuses. The program, which consists of coursework and school-based experience, enables students to obtain a Master's degree in one year, as well as meet the requirements for certification.
"We are looking for the best and brightest," said Alfano, who hopes the program will not only increase the number of teachers in critical shortage areas, but will also benefit disadvantaged schools.
The deadline for applications is Dec.1. For more information about the TCPCG program and the Teachers for Tomorrow project, as well as application information and instructions, students can visit www.tcpcg.uconn.edu.
The grant, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, will help promote the Teachers for Tomorrow project, which works with aspiring teachers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at the middle and high-school levels, as part of a national initiative to increase the number of teachers in these fields.
"These areas are typically critical shortage areas," said Alfano, citing that Connecticut reflects the national trend of a shortage of teachers in the STEM fields.
The Teachers for Tomorrow program has $15,000 scholarships available for college graduates, as well as students who will graduate in May.
"Our goal is to put 50 more teachers in the STEM areas in Connecticut, which is a lot considering how small the state is," said Alfano.
Applicants for the scholarship must be full-time entering graduate students pursuing teaching certification in math or science, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident as well as have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
In addition, recipients must commit to teaching in a high-needs school for a minimum of two years.
"[Urban school districts] are affected by these shortages the most," said Alfano. "Those are the schools where teachers are really needed."
The Teachers for Tomorrow project will run in accordance with TCPCG program at the West Hartford and Waterbury regional campuses. The program, which consists of coursework and school-based experience, enables students to obtain a Master's degree in one year, as well as meet the requirements for certification.
"We are looking for the best and brightest," said Alfano, who hopes the program will not only increase the number of teachers in critical shortage areas, but will also benefit disadvantaged schools.
The deadline for applications is Dec.1. For more information about the TCPCG program and the Teachers for Tomorrow project, as well as application information and instructions, students can visit www.tcpcg.uconn.edu.
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