Local Schools Partnership Grows Diverse STEM Teacher Pipeline

Bowie State’s Nearly $1.2M National Science Foundation Grant Funds Initiative

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile 

(BOWIE, Md.) – When promising inventors miss out on a solid STEM education, the next big thing may go undiscovered. Studies show that a gap in the number of qualified STEM educators is partially to blame.

To encourage more college students interested in STEM to become high school teachers, Bowie State University is linking with Prince George’s County Public Schools to prepare excellent STEM educators from diverse backgrounds to teach students in high-needs schools. A five-year, nearly $1.2 million Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant from the National Science Foundation is driving this effort.

“As Maryland’s first historically black university, Bowie State University is proud to expand our ongoing partnership with the Prince George’s County Public Schools to grow the pipeline of highly qualified, diverse STEM educators and enrich the learning experiences of young people in the state of Maryland,” said Bowie State University President Aminta H. Breaux. “This partnership will develop effective STEM educators from Bowie State, who will cultivate the next generation of innovators and prepare them to succeed in a global economy.”

The program will recruit, train and mentor diverse Bowie State students with a love for natural sciences and mathematics to become future STEM teachers. Starting in the first year, about 15 freshman and sophomore STEM majors will tutor high school students in paid internships with the Prince George’s County Public Schools and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. By fall 2021, six to eight juniors and seniors committed to entering the education profession will be eligible for full-year, full-ride Noyce Scholarships. Over the five years, the program will award up to 27 Noyce Scholarships to qualified Bowie State students.

The Noyce Scholars will enhance their classroom learning with workshops, seminars and conferences designed to prepare them for the real-life challenges and offer solutions to help boost student success. The scholars will also get special preparation for the Praxis teacher certification exam and action research, which helps educators uncover new ways to solve problems in instruction. Master STEM teachers from the county school district will mentor the Noyce Scholars, both during the program and after graduation, to provide ongoing support.

Having positive tutoring experiences early in their college years, coupled with the layered support from the Noyce Program, can make the difference in helping STEM majors to choose an education career.

“Those teaching experiences are so emotional and real. In the classroom, working with a student, seeing them get something once you’ve explained it, that can really shape where your career is going,” said Dr. Kari Debbink, assistant professor of biology and coordinator of Bowie State’s Noyce Scholarship Program. Dr. Debbink is leading a multidisciplinary team of faculty on the program: Dr. Elena Klimova, chair of the Department of Mathematics; Dr. Eva Garin, coordinator of the College of Education’s professional development schools program; and Dr. Devyn Gillette, assistant professor from Department of Natural Sciences.

Nationally, the need for effective STEM education and diverse educators is great. Research shows that schools with a large number of students in poverty offer little hands-on STEM education, and teachers who reflect the diversity of their students positively impact their success. In Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), about two-thirds of students receive free or reduced lunch and more than 90 percent of students are underrepresented minorities. Among economically disadvantaged PGCPS middle and high school students, only about 10 percent are proficient in math, according to the district’s 2017-18 report card.

“If students don’t see themselves represented by their teachers, then they don’t have the idea that they could be a teacher. Seeing successful people who look like them is important,” said Dr. Debbink. “We’re really trying to build a community among Bowie State students studying to become secondary school STEM teachers. With this program, local schools will know that they can come to Bowie State and find highly trained teachers.”

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.