NSF Grant: Transfer to Teaching: Accelerated STEM Teacher Preparation from Community College to Credentialing.
An interdisciplinary team of UCI faculty and staff led by School of Biological Sciences Associate Teaching Professor Jessica Pratt was recently awarded a new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support STEM teacher preparation through UCI’s CalTeach program, where students can obtain their STEM B.S. as well as a California preliminary teaching credential in just 4 years. Pratt, along with co-PI’s, Professor Philip Collins from the School of Physical Sciences, Professor Rossella Santagata from the School of Education and CalTeach staff including Kris Houston, Chelsea Barilli, and Doron Zinger, developed the project titled “Transfer to Teaching: Accelerated STEM Teacher Preparation from Community College to Credential”.
This project aims to serve the national need for growing and diversifying the STEM teaching workforce. Specifically, this project will work with local community colleges to promote the entry and success of community college students in CalTeach, the University’s STEM teaching credential program. Within two years after transfer, the community college students will earn a Bachelor of Science degree and single subject teaching credential in mathematics or science. Supporting these students as Noyce Scholars will accelerate the pathway from community college to credentialed STEM teaching. The project will offer cross-enrollment opportunities in lower division CalTeach courses for community college students. It will also provide Noyce scholarships to transfer students in the CalTeach Program and support incoming transfer students through a week-long Summer STEM Research Institute for Future Teachers.
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