Camarillo, Calif. Apr. 2, 2010 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) is proud to announce its participation in the National Science Foundation (NFS) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. This program was created by NSF to promote the recruitment and training of future math and science teachers.
A $900,000 grant was awarded to California Coast Noyce Scholars (CCNS) Partnership, a collaborative partnership formed by CI, Humboldt State University (HSU) and CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Since all three are relatively small institutions, they decided to partner in applying for the grant. They will share the award and focus on recruiting and training future mathematics teachers.
HSU had a lot of students interested in teaching but not many elementary, middle and high schools to supply jobs. CI and CSUMB offered many high needs areas that could employ math teachers. Another plus of the partnership is that Noyce Scholars can complete a STEM degree at any of the three campuses and transfer seamlessly to one of the other partner campuses to earn their single-subject credential in math.
A Noyce Scholar will receive funding for his or her education with a stipend for living expenses so that the student can pursue academic pursuits without distraction. In return for the funding, a student is committed to teaching math for two years in a high needs area school for each year of funding he/she received.
The Noyce Scholar program is open to talented Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors in their junior and senior years, to post baccalaureate students earning their single-subject teaching credential in math and to STEM professional career changers who want to earn a math teaching certification.
Dr. Ivona Grzegorczyk, Professor of Mathematics, is a co-principal investigator for the grant with the other participating mathematics chairs. Dr. Jeanne Grier, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Math and Science Teacher Initiative, will start as a co-principal investigator in the second year of the program. Dr. Grier stated that the NSF Noyce Scholar program is an outcome in CI’s Strategic STEM Initiative. “It supports the effort to add more math teachers to the pipeline and create teachers who will motivate students to become teachers themselves.”
Dr. Grzegorczyk said this year there are two Noyce Scholars, Amanda Kuck, a junior math major, and Jamee Morrison, a graduate math major in the credential program.
She explained that the Noyce Scholars attend conferences, interact with their counterparts at the other two campuses and act as spokespersons to future math teachers. “They are involved in research projects and work with me on the grant to encourage teacher development in math,” she said. “Math is the language of the sciences. The better the math, the better the science.”
Dr. Dawn Neuman, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, stated, “Channel Islands is very dedicated to serving the community and nation with a high level of education in all of the sciences, including mathematics. Programs, such as the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, that encourage students to become K-12 math and science teachers, serve a regional and national need. We are very excited to have received the National Science Foundation funding in support of our high quality programs.”
For questions about the California Coast Noyce Scholars (CCNS) Partnership, contact Dr. Jeanne Grier, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Math and Science Teacher Initiative at CSU Channel Islands at 805-437-8987 or jeanne.grier@csuci.edu.
For media inquiries contact Joanna Murphy, Assistant Director of Communication & Marketing at CSU Channel Islands at 805-437-8915 or joanna.murphy@csuci.edu.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.