Piedmont University Awarded National Science Foundation STEM Teaching Grant

Piedmont University recently received a Recruitment and Induction of STEM Educators grant from the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts.

“Dr. Kelly Land and I are very excited to have received an NSF Noyce Capacity Building grant,” said Dr. Rebecca Godwin, assistant professor of biology. “The NSF Noyce Program looks to address the critical need for recruiting, preparing, and retaining highly effective K-12 math and science teachers. Over the next year, Dr. Land and I will be meeting with local K-12 teachers and Piedmont University students, faculty, staff, and alumni to raise awareness of the need for qualified K-12 STEM teachers and create a streamlined pathway for Piedmont STEM majors to pursue careers in K-12 science education.”

Piedmont University’s project includes partnerships with three two-year technical colleges in Georgia (Athens, Lanier, and North Georgia technical colleges) and three high-need school districts (Gainesville City, Gwinnett County, and Stephens County).

Piedmont will also develop connections with two alternative high schools (Mountain Education and Foothills Regional High School) to assess the needs of teachers and students in these districts and assist in recruiting prospective students from their respective institutions.

For more information on the NSF Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Program, please visit here.